What is employee ownership?

At its core, employee ownership is a succession planning strategy that gives employees a meaningful stake in the business — not just financially, but also in its culture and long-term success.

Some common employee ownership models include ESOPs, worker cooperatives, direct share ownership, and Employee Ownership Trusts.

An EOT is often one of the most straightforward and flexible ways for business owners to introduce broad-based employee ownership, particularly for companies that want to remain independent after an ownership transition.

For a fuller guide, see What is employee ownership?