snouts in the trougfh ??, page-8

All these employee share plans are generous. Nobody is worth this sort of bonus treatment. No matter who they are or how well they perform in the job. If they value the company they work for, they can borrow externally and buy shares, just like everybody else. Dont fall for the old 'furphy' that if you pay peanuts you get monkeys.

These share purchase schemes are devised and 'sold' by consultants. Selling these ideas provides them with a consultancy income stream. Its a product, and that product costs shareholders cold hard cash.

It is an 'industry' and these schemes are sold to Boards of Directors who can end up with large shareholdings at subsidised prices based on, sometimes very easy performance objectives. If loans are going to be extended to support employee share purchases, be equitable and extend those loans to all existing shareholders too! Shareholders after all, are the real owners of the company.

If cash salaries are paid, it is very much more transparent, the average joe can understand cash, and kick up about the salary levels. But with options and share plans, many people simply dont understand the numbers and the value it potentially provides employees/directors.

IMO these plans, and the consultants who devise and sell them to boards should be outlawed.