Work to Own is a non-profit founded by Bill Mundell to address the systemic lack of economic mobility in America through a first ever Employee Ownership (EO) Index, in effect a “Gini co-efficient” for companies.
The EO Index enables American companies to take the lead in shaping a market-driven standard for broad-based ownership of equity by their employees.
UPWARD ECONOMIC MOBILITY IN AMERICA
Research by Opportunity Insights at Harvard University reveals that 90% of children born in 1940 grew up to earn more than their parents. For children born in 1980, this figure has declined to 50%.
With America’s wealth concentrated in company equity, the clearest market solution to enhance economic mobility across America is to give American employees the opportunity to earn equity in the companies they work for.
And yet despite research demonstrating mutual benefits for both shareholders and employees, and elaborate government incentives (especially with ESOPs), broad-based ownership has failed to catch on economy wide.Some blame this on the complexity of the ESOP program, but at bottom this is more likely a market failure driven by a lack of easily accessible information.
EO INDEX: SHAPING A NEW STANDARD FOR EMPLOYEE OWNERSHIP
Currently, there is no financial market standard to benchmark broad-based employee ownership at the company level.
The EO Index solves this problem by empowering the managers of American companies with data-driven insight to determine the optimal balance of employee-owned equity across the pay scale.
INITIAL FOCUS ON PUBLIC COMPANIES
In the first iteration of developing the EO Index, we have designed two baseline measures. These components are based on detailed employee ownership data for 1,000 of America’s largest public companies:
Distribution of equity between executive and non-executive employees, in effect a Gini co-efficient for companies.
Percentage of total company equity allocated to employees.
We are collaborating with top market participants to refine these measures and co-create additional components based on more granular data.
LEVERAGING MARKET FORCES TO SHAPE A WIN-WIN
The EO Index creates a market solution where government policy has failed, enabling managers to create shareholder value while at the same time positioning their companies as change agents in the creation of generational wealth for their employees.
Work to Own is an internal non-profit project of The Giving Back Fund, a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. | EIN: 04-3367888
