This Practice Note examines the employee shareholder status (also known as shares for rights) pursuant to which, until December 2016, tax reliefs were offered to participants in return for surrendering various employment rights. The note examines the tax reliefs that were offered, the requirement to value the shares, the employment rights which had to be surrendered and the protection that was afforded to the employees who entered into this regime. Finally, the note examines the company law implications that arose in relation to the employee shareholder status, the required documentation and its use in practice. As of 1 December 2016, no new employee shareholder status arrangements can be entered into and still benefit from the tax-advantaged status. Any employee shareholder share arrangements implemented prior to this date remain unaffected. This document has been archived and is no longer maintained.