Part 1

Introduction to Share Plans (Module 1)

• Reviews the wide range of employee and executive share plans.
• Explains the reasons why companies choose to operate employee share plans.
• Explains the evolution of share plans and the regulatory environment in which share plans operate.
• Explains key terminology used in share plans.
• Explains what “compliance” means and why it is important.
• Identifies core documentation needed to establish, operate and administer an employee share plan.

Design (Module 2)

• Identifies commercial factors that will influence plan design.
• Explains who will be involved in designing a share plan.
• Identifies key design features of different kinds of share plans.
• Explains the key steps for launching a new share plan.
• Explains how key corporate governance principles can impact on the design of share plans.

Legal and Regulatory (Module 3)

• Identifies the approvals and authorisations needed to implement an employee share plan.
• Identifies legal and regulatory issues that may arise when establishing and operating an employee share plan.
• Identifies issues restricting the times when options/awards can be granted and exercised or vested and resulting shares can be sold.
• Explains the key legal principles relevant to share plans including:   •  formation of a contract
    •  the use of trusts
    •  malus and clawback
    •  insider dealing
    •  investment advice
    •  employment law (including age discrimination)

International Plans (Module 4)

• Explains why companies choose to implement global employee and executive share plans.
• Identifies the key areas to be considered when designing/operating global share plans.
• Considers the risks of not dealing with the overseas regulatory requirements.
• Identifies the relevant considerations when dealing with mobile employees.

Part 2

Executive Share Plans (Module 5)

• Identifies the key legal issues which arise in the context of executive plans.
• Identifies the key plan structures used for executive plans.
• Identifies some of the key features of executive plans, such as retention periods, malus and clawback and leaver provisions.
• Identifies key performance conditions.

UK Tax and National Insurance (Module 6)

• Considers tax and national insurance, including their purpose and classification.
• Understands the taxation of employee shares and share awards.
• Explains when share awards are subject to national insurance contributions.
• Explains how income tax and national insurance contributions are collected.

All Employee Plans (Module 7)

• Identifies the main differences between all-employee and discretionary plans.
• Identifies the key elements of UK tax advantaged all-employee savings related and share incentive plans.
• Explains the main differences between UK tax advantaged and non-tax advantaged plans.

Accounting and Disclosure (Module 8)

• Identifies key concepts for accounting entries for employee share plans.
• Reviews disclosure obligations in an employee share plans context.
• Identifies the key elements of directors’ remuneration and interests in shares to be disclosed to the company, the FCA and the company’s shareholders.

Administration (Module 9)

• Identifies what kind of administration services are available.
• Identifies data privacy requirements.
• Identifies key issues covered in an administration agreement.