This year’s EO Day has the theme of #eoSmile, to showcase the impact employee ownership has on employees, business, the wider economy, communities, and the environment. So, to celebrate this year, Quintessa volunteered time to support the charity Grozone (part of the Groundwork federation) in building a sensory garden for children with complex needs to provide them with a safe space to navigate their heightened anxieties and find calm amidst dysregulation. We helped with laying a path around the garden and creating a bug hotel.

Here are some pertinent facts about employee ownership.

• The UK now boasts over 2,250 employee-owned businesses.

• UK employee-owned businesses contribute around £40 billion to the UK economy annually.

• There are more than 310,000 employee owners across the UK.

• The impacts employee ownership can make on employee wellbeing, business performance, and economic growth are found to scale across every industry [Robust Growth champions report]. The model also has a great deal of potential in specific mission-critical sectors like Social Care [People Powered Care report].

• Employee-owned businesses are on average 8-12% more productive per employee.

• Employee owners have higher levels of job satisfaction, feel a greater sense of achievement and job security, and are more likely to recommend their workplace than employees in other businesses

• Employee-owned businesses operate in a range of sectors including healthcare, social care, education, transport, manufacturing, retail, and professional services.

If you'd like to learn more, you can read about Quintessa's chosen employee-ownership model.