Force 8 employees received a £500 tax free bonus at Easter, following a similar pay-out before Christmas 2022.

The company is an Employee Owned Trust (EOT), which means that every employee can receive up to £3,600 tax free within the tax year.

“The EOT has totally altered the company dynamics and created the perfect team spirit within the workforce, everyone has become a quality control expert making sure every product is perfect and delivered on time,” commented Lisa Mottershead, operations director at Force 8.

“Force 8 has always been a family business and extremely successful under the guidance of Dennis Sumner the managing director. After receiving many attractive offers to buy the company, Dennis decided that the EOT was the best way forward,” she continued.

“Some of the staff have been with the company for over 20 years, and Dennis wanted to make sure the company was secure, and that all the staff felt secure – the EOT was the perfect solution”.

An Employee-Owned Company is one where over 51% of the shares are held in a trust for the benefit of all employees, but in the case of Force 8, it’s 100%. The trust, which oversees the management of the company, includes shop floor representatives and one non-working independent person.

The trustee board must meet certain legal requirements and ensure that the company is always acting in the best interest of all the employees. Alongside this, a forum is made up from staff and directors with the aim of improving the company and discussing new ideas.

According to Force 8, companies with employee ownership often see greater productivity, reduced absenteeism, increased revenue, and higher profitability, successes that can continue over time, as the motivation of employees continues to build.