2020 newspad awards
Submissions are now open for the 2020 newspad all-employee share plan awards. The newspad awards recognise the achievements of companies which offer employee share plans and hold up best practice models for other companies to follow. Companies can nominate themselves or advisers can make submissions on behalf of clients. The deadline for all nominations is 5pm on Friday 20 February 2021.
The award categories for 2020 are:
- Best international all-employee share plan (more than 2,500 employees)
- Best UK all-employee share plan (fewer than 2,500 employees)
- Best share plan communications
- Best employee share plan presentation (new feature or new plan)
- Best use of technology, AI or behavioural science in employee share plans
- Best creative solutions (taking account of employee feedback, equality work, cultural and jurisdictional issues)
- Most improved step change participation
- Best executive/managerial equity reward plan (involving more than 100 employees)
- Best employee share plan practitioner (with examples of client work)
- Best start-up equity incentive plan
- Best HR director
- Best ceo
- Best chairman
- Company with best programme to encourage employee shareholder votes at agm
Application process
To submit an application for the newspad all-employee share plan awards, please complete both of the following stages:
- Online application form – complete all sections of the online form, providing as much detail as possible. (Alternatively, entries can be made by one or two explanatory documents).
- Supporting documentation – where appropriate, please back up your application with supporting documentation. Either upload the files at the end of the form, or email them to esop@esopcentre.com.
Please read the rules and terms of entry below.
The winners were decided by two impartial judges, experts in the use of employee equities, plus Malcolm Hurlston CBE, founder of the Esop Centre. The finalists were announced in newspad March 2020.
Awards may be received in person at the next British Isles symposium.
If you have any questions, please contact us at esop@esopcentre.com or call +44 (0)20 7562 0586.
Rules
- A plan issuer company can nominate itself for an award.
- A practitioner can nominate itself (for category 9) or a client company for an award provided permission has been received from the client company. The practitioner must be a member of the Esop Centre but the nominated client may be a non-member.
- A practitioner can nominate a different client company for each award, or the same company for more than one award, but cannot nominate more than one client company for the same award.
- A plan issuer company can nominate itself for more than one award.
- Judges and their companies or clients are not eligible to apply for any award.
- Entries can be made using the online entry form or by one or two explanatory documents . Submissions should be accompanied by supporting documentation (please see the online entry form for further details).
- Entrants should be prepared to co-operate fully with the judges or their representatives, where necessary, in response to enquiries seeking additional information from short-listed entrants.
- The decision of the judges is final.
- Commercial sensitivity will be respected.
- No charge is made for entries.
category descriptions:
Best international all-employee share plan *
An all-employee share plan can be a particularly effective way for a multinational company to bring together a diverse global workforce to help achieve key corporate goals. Applications to this award category will be judged on how successfully the share plan meets the company’s objectives in light of the complexities of cross-border arrangements.
* In a company with more than 2,500 employees and participants in at least three countries.
Best UK all-employee share plan †
All-employee share plans help spread the wages of capital and boost company productivity. This award category highlights how share schemes can be used to benefit employee and business alike.
† In a company with fewer than 2,501 employees and participants in no more than two countries.
Best share plan communications
Communication is key to the success or failure of an all-employee share scheme. This award category highlights the need for communications programmes that are sensitive to the circumstances of an individual company and the make up of its workforce.
Best share plan presentation (new feature or new plan)
Share plans can be complex and difficult to understand, so how a presentation is made to the employees is crucial when introducing new plan features or new plan altogether. Judges will be looking for the most impactful innovation of share plan presentation.
Best use of technology, AI or behavioural science
Without effective technological solutions, all-employee share plans would be prohibitively expensive and time consuming for many companies. This award category recognises innovative uses of technology to manage, communicate and administer share schemes in a fast changing world.
Best creative solutions
All-employee share plans often raise particularly challenging situations. This award category is designed to recognise particularly creative solutions to difficult problems encountered in the design and administration of share schemes and managing key events, including employee cultural, jurisdictional or social diversity issues.
Most improved step change participation
All-employee share plans require good rates of participation to be effective and companies strive to raise participation levels. This award recognises the best push on communications or improvements in generosity of terms.
Best executive/managerial equity reward plan
An executive or managerial equity reward plan is useful for companies to engage and retain key staff by giving them a stake in the business. This award category is designed to show us why the issue of share options or deferred shares was the best solution in the circumstances. The submitted incentive plan must cover more than 100 executive and/or managerial employees.
Best employee share plan practitioner
This year, for the first time, newspad is honouring the share plan professionals behind successful all-employee plans. This award will give us an insight into the plan objectives and criteria used in assessing the degree of success of the plans. Entrants will need to submit at least two examples of client all-employee share plan work to qualify for this award.
Best start-up equity incentive plan
Employee engagement can be vital to a fledgling business and equity incentive plans give employees a stake in the company. This award aims to uncover how an equity plan fits the needs of a start-up, with examples of employee reaction via two-way communications.
Best HR director
The success of an all-employee share plan can sometimes depend on the enthusiasm of an HR director. This award is designed to recognise a great director who motivates staff to participate by taking a keen interest in the installation and monitoring of all-employee equity plans in the business.
Best chief executive officer
The success of an all-employee share plan can also depend on the support of the company’s leaders. This award is designed to recognise a motivational ceo who effectively promotes all-employee equity with enthusiasm.
Best chairman
Similarly, a chairman’s support and work in publicising the all-employee equity plan can have a dramatic effect on its success by communicating the benefits to staff and the wider industry.
Company with best programme to encourage employee shareholder votes at an agm
Can all-employee share plans be a vehicle for giving employees a voice in their company? This award aims to answer this. The question of voting gives companies an additional opportunity to communicate and we all know that good comms are at the heart of success!
Previous winners
2019
Best all-employee international share plan*
* Participants in at least three countries.
winner: Reckitt Benckiser
highly commended: Airbus
Best share plan communications
winner: easyJet
highly commended: Tesco
commended: Mitie
Best use of technology, AI or behavioural science in employee share plans
winner: Marks & Spencer
The most creative solutions
winner: Dixons Carphone
Best employee share plan practitioner
winner: Rm2 Partnership
2018
Best all-employee international share plan*
* Participants in at least three countries.
winner: easyJet
Best UK centred all-employee share plan †
ᶧParticipants in no more than two countries.
winner: Xtrac
Best share plan communications
winner: Micro Focus
highly commended: Non-Standard Finance
Best use of video communication
winner: Unilever
Best use of technology in employee share plans
winner: BP
highly commended: Paddy Power Betfair
The most creative solutions to employee cultural, jurisdictional or social diversity issues when launching international all-employee share plans
winner: BAE Systems
2017
Most Creative Solution
Winner: Google
Best all-employee international share plan *
* Participants in at least three countries.
Winner: Nokia
Highly commended: Sage Group
Best all-employee share planᶧ
ᶧParticipants in no more than two countries.
Winner: Valero
Best share plan communications
Winner: Telefónica
Highly commended: Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd
Best use of video communications
Winner: Amadeus IT Group
2016
Best all-employee share plan in a company with more than 1,500 employees
Winner: Computershare
Highly commended: Just Eat
Best all-employee share plan in a company with fewer than 1,500 employees
Winner: Chess Ltd
Best international all-employee share plan
Winner: Nokia
Very highly commended: Rio Tinto
Best all-employee share plan communications
Winner: Aviva
Best financial education of employees
Winner: Henderson
2015
Best international all-employee share plan in a company with more than 1,500 employees in at least three countries
Winner: Amadeus IT Holding
Best all-employee share plan in a company with fewer than 1,500 employees
Commended: Henderson Global Investors
Winner: Abzena
Best all-employee share plan communications
Winner: Royal Dutch Shell
Best in financial education for employees
Henderson Global Investors
Best integration of an all-employee share plan into a wider programme of employee engagement
No award in 2015
Best use of video in share plan communications
Winner: Telefonica
Best employee equity intervention by a major company chairman or ceo
Sacha Romanovitch, ceo of Grant Thornton
2014
Best international all-employee share plan in a company with more than 1,500 employees in at least three countries
Winner: Shell
Best all-employee share plan in a company with fewer than 1,500 employees
Winner: Conviviality
Best all-employee share plan communications
Commended: BSkyB
Winner: Rio Tinto
Special Award
BT, for its £1.1bn ShareSave payout
2013
Best employee share ownership plan (more than 1,500 employees)
Winner: Edwards Group
Best employee share ownership plan (fewer than 1,500 employees)
Winner: Igas Energy
Best all-employee share plan communications
Commended: W M Morrison Supermarkets
Winner: Pearson
Esop Institute student of the year
Stuart Clarke of RBC cees
2012
Best employee share ownership plan for a company with over 1,500 employees
Commended: Diageo
Winner: Royal Dutch Shell
Best employee share ownership plan for companies with fewer than 1,500 employees
Commended: The London Stock Exchange
Highly Commended: Imagination Technologies Group
Winner: Henerson Global Investors
Best communications supporting an all-employee share plan
Commended: Whitbread Group
Highly Commended: Flybe Group
Winner: J Sainsbury
2011
Best employee share plan in a company with more than 1,500 employees
Commended: Pearson
Joint Winners: Barclays and Ericsson
Best employee share plan in a company with fewer than 1,500 employees
Highly Commended: Telecity
Winner: Innospec
2010
Best employee share ownership scheme (More than 1,500 employees)
Highly Commended: BT
Winner: Shell International
Esop Institute student of the year
Anne-Louise Flowers, formerly of Sanne Group
2009
Best international employee share plan
Highly Commended: Diageo and RSA Insurance Group
Winner: Serco Group
Best small company international employee share plan
Winner: Telecity Group
Esop Institute student of the year
Winner: Charlie Germain from Ogier
2008
Best international employee share ownership plan for smaller companies
Winner: Telecity
Best international employee share ownership plan for larger companies
Winner: RSA
Esop Institute student of the year
Kristopher Poulton of Deloitte