Employee Ownership Trusts – In Search of Best Practice – Article

This article is contributed by our lead professional trustee firm, Independent Directors and Trustees (IDT). Any opinion expressed or advice is IDTs. The content is considered useful Continuous Professional Development material for owners considering an Employee Ownership Trust. If you have any questions or enquiries, please email us at av@avondale.co.uk or contact IDT directly quoting ‘Avondale’.

The employee ownership sector is growing at an incredible rate having doubled in size in just three years. That growth has been driven almost entirely by the introduction in 2014 of the Employee Ownership Trust (EOT). The vast majority of the businesses that make up the sector are small or medium-sized businesses (SMEs) who share ownership and voice with all employees via an EOT, but today we have very little insight into the ownership mechanics of those companies.

This short piece of research aims to lift the lid on what is happening inside those businesses and how they are bringing employee ownership to life. Independent Directors & Trustees Limited, working in partnership with the sector’s think tank Ownership at Work, have conducted a small scale, deep dive study into SMEs who have recently adopted EOTs to better understand their governance and leadership practices. This report draws out common choices and structures, and raises critical questions on what best practice looks like.