Q&A
Bringing back Link every two years contributes to forging a robust employee shareholding policy, strengthening the role of employees in the Group’s share capital and increasing the percentage of shares owned by employees.
This bi-yearly opportunity will enable employees to invest on a more regular basis, thus spreading their investment out over a longer period.
The Board of Directors has adopted a biennial recurrence of the Link operation.
However, each operation will have to be adopted by a resolution of the General Meeting of Shareholders or by a new decision of the Board of Directors.
In theory, yes, but prior approval from the Board of Directors and the shareholders will still technically be required each time.
- All employees who, on the last day of the cancellation period (November 18, 2022), have an employment contract with a company that is part of the ENGIE International Group Savings Plan (PEGI), and who have at least three months’ service, whether consecutive or not, as of that date.
These 3 months of service include work conducted between January 1, 2021 and the last day of the cancellation period (November 18, 2022), including over multiple employment contracts and/or with different companies within the Group.
Pursuant to the provisions of Council Regulation (EU) No. 833/2014 and Council Regulation (EC) No. 765/2006 (as amended), Link 2022 is not open to Russian nationals, natural persons residing in Russia, Belarusian nationals, or natural persons residing in Belarus, unless they are nationals of a European Union Member State or natural persons with a temporary or permanent residence permit issued by a European Union Member State.
Summary table:
Eligible employees Ineligible employees Fixed-term contract ≥ 3 months’ service All employees < 3 months’ service Permanent contract ≥ 3 months’ service Interns Professional training contract ≥ 3 months’ service Temp workers Work-study contract ≥ 3 months’ service Suspended contract ≥ 3 months’ service
Yes—employees on fixed-term employment contracts are eligible to participate, provided they have at least 3 months’ service and, as of November 18, 2022, are covered by an employment contract with an employer taking part in Link.
These 3 months of service include work conducted between January 1, 2021 and the last day of the cancellation period (November 18, 2022), including over multiple employment contracts and/or with different companies within the Group.
No—because V.I.E. participants do not have an employment contract with a company from the ENGIE group, they are not eligible to participate.
Yes—expatriates/impatriates can participate in Link in the host country where they are a tax resident.
If their host country is not participating in Link, they can take part in Link as part via the Group Savings Plan (PEG) or International Group Savings Plan (PEGI) in their home country, provided they still have an employment contract with the employer that is part of the PEG or PEGI, even if that contract is suspended and they receive no compensation from that employer (in which case, they will need to confirm the tax and social security system that applies to them).
No—it is not enough to have simply worked for the Group for more than 3 months. The work must have been performed in a capacity as an employee, and the person must still be an employee at a company belonging to ENGIE’s Group Savings Plan (PEG) on November 18, 2022.
No—because being an employee at a company belonging to ENGIE’s International Group Savings Plan (PEGI) on the last day of the cancellation period (i.e. November 18, 2022) is a prerequisite, employees who leave the Group during the reservation period are not eligible to take part in Link.
No—because being an employee at a company belonging to ENGIE’s International Group Savings Plan (PEGI) on November 18, 2022 is a prerequisite.
Yes—employees are eligible to participate in Link during their termination/resignation notice period, provided they have at least 3 months’ service and they are still an employee at a company belonging to ENGIE’s International Group Savings Plan (PEGI) on November 18, 2022.
Yes—because the opportunity is made available to each employee individually.
- You invest an amount in euros. On this basis, the number of free shares offered through the matching employer contribution is determined as follows: For the portion of your personal contribution up to 200 euros (or its equivalent in your local currency at the exchange rate set on the date of the decision setting the Link 2022 cancellation period), the number of free shares is 200%; and
- For the portion of your personal contribution above 200 euros and up to 300 euros (or its equivalent in your local currency at the exchange rate set on the date of the decision setting the cancellation period), the number of free shares is 50%.
The total euro amount to be used to calculate the number of free shares granted is determined by adding the amounts calculated for each of these portions.
This euro amount is divided by the ENGIE share price and rounded down to the next whole number, with the result being the number of free shares granted to the participant.
Example:
I invest €450 in the Link Classic plan during the subscription period.
The reference price is €12.
The price of a share is €12 - 20% = €9.6
450 / 9.6 = 46.87. Because fractions are not allowed, I purchase 46 shares for €441.60 (and therefore do not invest the full €450).For the portion of my personal contribution up to €200, I receive a €400 matching employer contribution.
For the portion of my personal contribution from €200 to €300, I receive a €50 matching employer contribution.
Accordingly, I receive €450 / €9.6 = 46 free shares from Engie (after rounding down).Beyond €300 of investment, I do not receive any more free shares.
Total:
46 free shares
For either plan, your personal contribution must be at least equivalent to the price of one share.
The total amount you pay into the plans must not exceed 25% of your gross annual compensation for 2022 (including bonuses, etc.).
For the 25% gross annual compensation cap:
To verify whether your contribution exceeds the authorized cap, ensure that:1 x Personal contribution in Link Classic
+
10 x Personal contribution in Link Multiple
(corresponding to 1 times your personal contribution + 9 times for the bank contribution)
≤ 25% of your gross annual compensation for 2022
A simulator is available to allow you to verify whether your planned investment complies with these caps.
Your gross annual compensation is composed of your annual salary, premiums, and bonuses paid in 2022, excluding matching employer contributions.
Your username is your work email address. If you have a problem with this address, speak with your Link Manager.
Your Link Manager (who may delegate this authority) has access to the subscription site and can use it to have your credentials resent to you.
For your username, speak with your Link Manager.
Your Link Manager (who may delegate this authority) has access to the subscription site and can use it to provide you with your username.As for your password, it is possible to directly reset it on the subscription website.
The employee will continue to owe ENGIE and the employer all unpaid amounts, and the employer may, as permitted by applicable law, withhold these amounts from the employee’s pay or, if the employee leaves the company, from the balance owed to the employee following the end of the employment relationship (solde de tout compte).
If a payment issue remains unresolved, ENGIE will be entitled to proceed with the full sale of the shares subscribed by the employee under the Link 2022 plans.
Get in touch with your Link Manager, who will describe the steps that need to be followed and the documents you will have to submit.
Your country’s “Local Supplement” lists all the circumstances entitling you to early release.
Yes, it can be important in certain early release cases.
There is no time limit for early release requests associated with the end of the employment relationship, disability, death, excess personal debt, or domestic violence.
For other cases, the request must be submitted within 6 months of the event’s occurrence. Early release to start a business or purchase a primary residence is a more specific case, as the shares are released prior to the event itself upon presentation of a financing plan for the project they will be used to contribute to.
For early release to be possible under Link 2022, the event triggering the case of early release must occur after the last day of the cancellation period.
Yes. You can request early release of all or part of your investment.
However, you can only invoke each ground for early release once. If, when you request early release, you only release part of your shares, the remainder will be locked in until maturity, unless you are affected by another case entitling you to early release.
Yes, but a special procedure will be put in place. Any event occurring after the last day of the cancellation period (i.e. November 19, 2022 or later) can entitle the employee to early release of the shares subscribed through their participation in the investment transaction. Requests for early release will be placed on hold and processed only after the completion of the transaction, i.e. after December 22, 2022.
Yes. Like any shareholder, you are entitled to exercise the voting rights attached to the shares you purchase with your personal contribution. You can also subscribe to receive electronic notice of shareholders’ meetings directly on the Actiris website.
Once you have owned your shares for two years, you will be entitled to double voting rights for shares purchased under the Link 2022 investment plans.