ESOP

ESOP

See: Employee Stock Ownership Plan

Employee Stock Ownership Plan

An employee benefit in which employees are issued or sold shares in the publicly-traded company for which they work after a certain number of days of employment. ESOPs are designed to give employees equity in the company to boost morale and thereby improve productivity. ESOPs receive various tax benefits, and may give employees a greater say in the election of the board of directors.

ESOP

See Employee Stock Ownership Plan.

Employee stock ownership plan (ESOP).

An ESOP is a trust to which a company contributes shares of newly issued stock, shares the company has held in reserve, or the cash to buy shares on the open market.

The shares go into individual accounts set up for employees who meet the plan's eligibility requirements.

An ESOP may be part of a 401(k) plan or separate from it. If it's linked, an employer's matching contribution may be shares added to the ESOP account rather than cash added to an investment account.

If you're part of an ESOP and you leave your job, you have the right to sell your shares on the open market if your employer is a public company.

If it's a privately held company, you have the right to sell them back at fair market value. The vast majority of ESOPs are offered by privately held companies.

ESOP

see EMPLOYEE SHARE OWNERSHIP PLAN.