In a context marked by evolving employee relationships with their companies, employee share ownership schemes are emerging as key tools to strengthen engagement and involve employees in value creation.
In Stratégies, Laurent Guardelli, partner at Coblence Avocats, analyzes this trend and notes that “the start-up nation has disconnected employee share ownership from the happy few who previously benefited from it,” highlighting the democratization of these mechanisms, which now extend beyond large corporations.
In 2025, one-third of SBF 120 companies and one-third of mid-sized companies (ETIs) implemented an employee share ownership transaction.
Profit-sharing schemes, incentive plans, free share allocations, and employer matching contributions now constitute structuring tools that go beyond traditional compensation policies, forming part of a broader performance and engagement strategy.
This analysis highlights the legal and strategic challenges associated with these mechanisms.
Learn more: https://www.strategies.fr/actualites/management
