Fifty by Fifty is catalyzing a movement to scale up employee ownership
Our goal: 50 million employee owners in the US by 2050
An initiative of The Democracy Collaborative, Fifty by Fifty is aimed at creating a more inclusive economy through employee ownership. Our goal is to catalyze a movement with the knowledge, resources, and skills to grow the number of employee owners in the U.S. to 50 million Americans by 2050.
The latest employee ownership news
Embrace Social Purpose, Says British Employee Ownership Expert Graeme Nuttall
Nuttal delivered this year’s annual Ghandi Foundation lecture.
Continue Reading Embrace Social Purpose, Says British Employee Ownership Expert Graeme Nuttall
Race, Equity and the Transformative Power of Employee Ownership
A conversation with Todd Leverette, program manager for Legacy Business Initiatives at the Democracy at Work Institute
Continue Reading Race, Equity and the Transformative Power of Employee Ownership
Innovative Strategies for Worker-to-Owner Business Conversions
New paper examines how the tools of finance can advance employee ownership.
Continue Reading Innovative Strategies for Worker-to-Owner Business Conversions
In Brief: Employee Ownership News Updates, July 2020
Coop Innovation Awards, new sponsors for Congressional legislation, and more
Continue Reading In Brief: Employee Ownership News Updates, July 2020
Can Employee Ownership Rescue the Economy?
Robust employee ownership discussions emerging in response to COVID-19.
Formerly Incarcerated Women Launch Chicago Worker Cooperative
ChiFresh Kitchen prepares meals to help address food insecurity during the pandemic.
Continue Reading Formerly Incarcerated Women Launch Chicago Worker Cooperative
CERO: Closing the Food Loop
African American and Latinx worker coop collects and processes food waste, which it then delivers to local urban farms.
Could COVID-19 help to scale employee ownership?
Employee-purchasers are well-positioned to buy firms out of bankruptcy.
Continue Reading Could COVID-19 help to scale employee ownership?
California Employee Ownership Alliance Proposes $10M Recovery Package
The WORC Coalition urges Californians to contact their legislators before the June 15 budget vote.
Continue Reading California Employee Ownership Alliance Proposes $10M Recovery Package
“It takes a job to get out of poverty but it takes assets to stay out of poverty. Ownership shares increase in value over time, generating wealth and security.”
—Fifty by Fifty cofounder Marjorie Kelly
Employee ownership offers a solution to the vast income and wealth inequality that is undermining America’s economy.
GOOD FOR EMPLOYEES
- WAGES: Employee owners earn average wages 5 to 12 percent higher than employees in conventional firms.
- WEALTH: The net worth of employee owners aged 28 to 34 is 92 percent higher than for non-employee owners.
- RETIREMENT SAVINGS: The average retirement savings for an ESOP employee is $170,000, twice the national average.
GOOD FOR BUSINESS
- TURNOVER: Employee engagement is higher and turnover is lower at employee-owned companies.
- GROWTH: Transitions to employee ownership increase productivity by more than 4 percent.
- STABILITY: Employee owners are one-fourth as likely to be laid off and their companies go bankrupt less frequently.
GOOD FOR COMMUNITIES
- JOBS: Employee ownership saves local jobs, because companies that are owned by their employees are far less likely to leave their communities.
- LOCAL WEALTH: Employee ownership keeps wealth circulating in local communities.
GOOD FOR OWNERS
- LEGACY: When business owners sell their businesses to their employees, they can keep their legacy alive for generations to come.
- SAVINGS: Entrepreneurs and family owners can realize the value the business has built while enjoying substantial tax savings.
- RESPONSIBILITY: Business founders and families can find ready buyers in employees, avoiding sale to those who would dismantle the business.
