Annual Review 2014

A Successful Year in the Decade of Employee Ownership.

The EOA publishes its annual review today reflecting on one of the most successful years in what is now, widely recognised as, the decade of employee ownership.

By the end of 2014 the number of employee owned businesses being created in the UK was growing at an annual rate of nine per cent. The employee ownership sector’s contribution to UK GDP is now four per cent, almost half way to the widely endorsed, target of 10 per cent by 2020, which was set by the EOA in 2012.

During the year new tax incentives for employee owned businesses, that the EOA and its members had campaigned for, were included in the Finance Bill. In July the EOA led the second successful UK Employee Ownership Day reaching over a quarter of a million people on social media.

Iain Hasdell, Chief Executive, Employee Ownership Association said: “2014 has been the most successful year ever for employee ownership in the UK and the EOA was at the heart of every significant development.

“There was also a growing realisation in 2014 that because employee owners think and act for the long term, their businesses are a powerful antidote to the short termism that dominates business behaviour in our economy. Employee ownership really is a movement for change. It absolutely is a better way of doing business.”

With an ambitious programme of events planned for 2015, including #EODay on 3 July, the year ahead will provide plenty more opportunities to make further progress with the employee ownership revolution.