Tagged: Compensation

ISS Updates FAQs on US Compensation Policies

ISS Updates FAQs on US Compensation Policies

ISS released its annual update of frequently asked questions on its US Compensation Policies on December 20, 2018 (preliminary updates had been released in November). The updates are effective for shareholder meetings occurring on or after February 1, 2019. There are nine new or materially updated questions, which are summarized below: #19 Will any of the quantitative pay-for-performance screens change in 2019?  No.  The screens...

Compensation to Newsletter Writers Must Be Disclosed

Compensation to Newsletter Writers Must Be Disclosed

On April 10, 2017, the SEC’s Division of Enforcement brought enforcement actions against 27 individuals and entities behind various alleged stock promotion schemes. These actions arose when public companies, through promoters or communications firms, hired newsletter writers to generate publicity for their securities without publicly disclosing that the writers were being paid. While it is not illegal to hire newsletter writers, Section 17(b) of the...

Gender Pay Gap Reporting for Companies with More Than 250 Employees in Great Britain

Gender Pay Gap Reporting for Companies with More Than 250 Employees in Great Britain

Beginning April 2017, companies with 250 or more employees in England, Wales and Scotland on April 5th should be aware of a requirement to begin publishing annually on their own website and on a government website the following four figures: Gender pay gap (mean and median averages) Gender bonus gap (mean and median averages) Proportion of men and women receiving bonuses Proportion of men and...

ISS Releases Executive Summary of 2017 Proxy Voting Policies

ISS Releases Executive Summary of 2017 Proxy Voting Policies

ISS has published an executive summary of 2017 updates to its benchmark proxy voting policies for the Americas, EMEA, and Asia-Pacific regions.  The updated policies will generally be applied to shareholder meetings on or after February 1, 2017. U.S. policy changes are summarized below, and companies should keep them in mind as they consider policies on director compensation, dividend and vesting policies for stock awards,...

Nasdaq Doesn’t Require Shareholder Approval of Equity Compensation Plan Amendments to Increase Tax Withholding

Nasdaq Doesn’t Require Shareholder Approval of Equity Compensation Plan Amendments to Increase Tax Withholding

Material amendments to equity compensation plans require shareholder approval under Nasdaq rules. Last week, Nasdaq posted a new FAQ #1269 regarding amendments to equity compensation plans to increase the tax withholding rate.  FAQ #1269 is set forth below. “Generally, an amendment to increase the withholding rate to satisfy tax obligations would not be considered a material amendment to an equity compensation plan. Allowing the holder...

Can you design better compensation disclosure? The SEC wants your thoughts on S-K Item 402 – and the rest of Subpart 400

Can you design better compensation disclosure? The SEC wants your thoughts on S-K Item 402 – and the rest of Subpart 400

As part of its Disclosure Effectiveness Initiative, the SEC has previously requested comments on parts of Regulation S-K and Regulation S-X.  On August 25th, the SEC requested comment on Subpart 400 of Regulation S-K.  Subpart 400 covers a lot of territory, including disclosure requirements on management, compensation and corporate governance.   The Fixing America’s Surface Transportation Act (FAST Act) required the SEC to review Regulation S-K...