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Ownership Works presentation: WSIB hears evidence that shared ownership can boost worker payouts, retention and safety
Summary
Ownership Works executive director presented data showing hundreds of companies have launched employee equity programs that can produce significant payouts at exit and improve retention and safety; a CEO credited employee‑led changes with operational safety gains.
The board heard a presentation on June 18 from Annalisa Miller, executive director of Ownership Works, a nonprofit that partners with private equity firms to broaden employee equity participation.
Miller described the organization's model and outcomes: since 2021 Ownership Works says it has worked with 45 private equity firms to launch shared‑ownership programs at 184 companies, with projected payouts to roughly 268,000 participating employees and projected aggregate payouts of about $14 billion as exits occur. She said the average payout at exits to date has been about $55,000 and cited examples of larger outcomes at specific KKR exits.
Miller emphasized that the programs involve broad‑based, free equity grants that are incremental to wages and benefits and are paired with culture‑change work and financial‑wellness support. “These equity participation plans go all the way from the CEO down to the front line,” she said, arguing the model can improve retention, safety and financial outcomes for workers while producing competitive returns.
Board members asked about how payouts are funded, union engagement and whether shared‑ownership works in different industries. Miller said plan design focuses on financial feasibility (targeting payout ranges equivalent to 6–12 months of salary at exit), management appetite, and relative company stability. She said Ownership Works advises sponsors to consult unions early and that in observed cases unions have been receptive when programs are free and incremental.
Dave Bangard, the former CEO of CHI Overhead Doors who participated on the panel, credited shared‑ownership with measurable safety and quality improvements at his company after an ownership program launched, saying employee suggestions led to a redesign of handling and transport practices that reduced incidents.
The board then moved the panel to executive session for more sensitive CEO discussion. The public portion of the presentation provided staff and trustees with an overview of the program’s rationale and early outcomes and prompted questions about how WSIB might evaluate employee ownership as part of private‑market diligence or stewardship.
