The election is over, the votes have been counted, and the consensus is that Joe Biden – from the Democratic Party ticket – has won the presidency. Control of the House of Representatives will remain with the Democratic Party, and a special election in Georgia will decide the fate of the Senate majority in early January. Even if the Democratic Party does not gain control of the Senate, President-Elect Biden will be keen to push his policies and priorities through Congress once he becomes the 46th President of the United States on January 20, 2021. This includes his tax plan, which calls for numerous changes to the tax system, including changes impacting the taxation of executive compensation. READ MORE
Flee the city, keep your salary? Not so fast say more employers
It sounds like the perfect arbitrage opportunity: Leave your crowded city for a bigger place in the 'burbs, but keep your big city salary.
But now, a new study by global advisory firm Willis Towers Watson shows that many employers aren't necessarily planning to let you keep your full paycheck if you move. READ MORE
Coronavirus derailed 2021 salary plans for many employers, survey says
Other recent research shows that workers are likely aware of the impact the pandemic will have on salaries and salary increases. Fewer workers said they expected an increase this year compared to last year, according to an August Randstad US survey. READ MORE
How the biggest retail companies are compensating essential workers
As the number of new COVID-19 infections smashes daily records, the pandemic has entered its deadliest phase yet. With a dark winter looming, millions of frontline essential retail workers face grave risks to their health, often for very low wages and without the hazard pay they were earning at the start of the pandemic. Meanwhile, the biggest retail companies in the country continue to earn eye-popping profits. READ MORE
British Billionaire Lands $1 Billion Bonus, Then Hires ‘Remuneration’ Expert To Clear Up Governance Issues
Matt Moulding, the muscle-bound, Lamborghini-driving founder of The Hut Group e-commerce empire, best known for protein shakes and its own brand of beauty products, has successfully passed the test he set for himself to award (himself) a massive bonus in the form of stock of The Hut Group, which trades as THG Holdings. READ MORE
U.S. E&P Sector Slammed for Excessive Executive Compensation, Lack of Oversight
Upstream investor Kimmeridge Energy Management Co. LLC has the U.S. exploration sector in its sights and is calling out the industry for its “lack of alignment” between the executive management teams and their shareholders.
The New York City-based private equity (PE) firm said in a white paper that executive compensation for the exploration and production (E&P) sector was still rising, even though it is “one of the worst performing sectors” in the past decade. READ MORE
Employers see a future of flex work and hybrid compensation models
Employee safety concerns are a primary reason for providing alternative work arrangements, followed by employee retention and increasing and maintaining employee engagement. READ MORE
Have Equity Compensation? Strategies to Handle Stock Market Volatility
If you’re an investor in the stock market, it’s likely that you have experience with volatility, which often can strike unexpectedly. However, if you are the owner or recipient of equity compensation and employee stock options, you may not realize that volatility can have even more of an impact on your financial future. READ MORE
Jump in investors who want executive pay tied to ESG
More than two thirds of investors want executive pay tied to ESG initiatives, a move that would pressure boards to achieve social and other key targets, according to the global Edelman Trust Barometer Special Report: Institutional Investors. Sixty-nine percent of stakeholders say they want to see a link between remuneration and ESG, a 17-point jump over 2019. READ MORE
5 Executive Pay Issues for 2021
The 2021 executive compensation season will be more challenging than usual for most companies due to the financial and economic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic. To meet these challenges, companies should be aware of several key issues as they design their 2021 executive compensation programs. READ MORE
Five things to know about executive compensation clawbacks in FCPA cases
Last month, on the same day the DOJ and SEC imposed $3.3 billion in financial penalties against Goldman Sachs for 1MDB-related FCPA violations, Goldman’s board announced a plan to claw back $174 million from former and current executives. With Goldman in mind, let’s look at how clawbacks work, and whether they’re a good idea. READ MORE
All About Deferred Compensation 457 Plans
A 457 plan is a lesser-known retirement plan similar to a 401k. But these types of plans come with some added benefits.
First off, it’s worth noting that there are two versions. The 457(b) plan is the more common of the two. The other is the 457(f) plan. Both are IRS-sanctioned, tax-deferred plans. Those who partake are allowed to contribute up to the elective deferral limit of $19,500. But in some cases, workers are allowed to contribute even more. And because these are tax-advantaged plans, that means the interest and earnings aren’t taxed until the funds are withdrawn. READ MORE
ISS FAQ: Executive Compensation and COVID-19
On Oct. 15, 2020, Institutional Shareholder Services (ISS) released preliminary FAQs on its approach to analyzing executive pay decisions relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. The FAQs, shaped by feedback from direct discussions with investors as well as ISS’ annual policy survey, provide general guidance regarding how ISS U.S. benchmark research may approach COVID-19-related pay decisions in the context of ISS’ pay-for-performance qualitative evaluation. READ MORE
Kodak says ex-executives sold stock options they didn’t own
Eastman Kodak Co. said five former executives were able to collect millions of dollars by selling stock options they didn’t own, an admission that is set to add to the scrutiny the company faces over the circumstances surrounding a halted U.S. loan. READ MORE
The highest-paying jobs in America
These 79 occupations earn six-figure salaries READ MORE
Does the First Lady Get a Salary?
We know the President and the Vice President of the United States receive salaries, but how much does the First Lady make? Jill Biden’s pay as FLOTUS may surprise you. READ MORE
Virus Cases Rise, but Hazard Pay for Retail Workers Doesn’t
They were hailed as heroes during the first wave of the pandemic, but wage increases were fleeting, and companies, whose businesses are booming, have been slow to pay out more. READ MORE
What will San Francisco’s new “CEO tax” actually accomplish?
Last week, voters in San Francisco passed a bevy of new taxes aimed at the top of America’s income brackets. The most striking is Proposition L, informally dubbed the “CEO tax.” By targeting businesses with highly paid executives and low-paid workers, it won approval with a resounding 65% of votes. That makes San Francisco the largest city to enact an idea long championed but seldom enacted in left-leaning circles: a corporate inequality tax. READ MORE
Musk guns for gates number 2 wealth ranking with tesla on a tear
Elon Musk is just a Tesla Inc. rally away from unseating fellow mega-billionaire -- and occasional verbal sparring partner -- Bill Gates as the second-richest person on the planet. READ MORE
As Year-End Companies Meet to Consider COVID19-Related Compensation Adjustments, the Question Remains – Will they?
“Pay the Piper” for Paying their Executives? Say-on-Pay Vote Results for Quarter and Midyear Proxy Filers and ISS FAQs Provide Insights and Early Warnings READ MORE