Summary
A survey by the High Pay Centre found that 55% of respondents support capping CEO pay to maintain a fair balance between workers and bosses.
The thinktank also recommends giving workers the right to vote on company boards and increasing transparency about top pay.
The UK government is under pressure to address income inequality, which has grown by 1.3% in 2022, with the poorest 20% experiencing a 3.4% reduction in disposable income while the richest 20% saw a 3.3% increase.
I think there needs to be a heavier tax on short term investment. This would disincentivize quarterly returns over multi year returns, and make investors prioritize longer term planning.
Right now you only pay taxes on stocks based on what you cash out every year, I think the length of an investment should ease its tax burden. Hold a stock for 1 year, you pay a high percentage when you sell. Hold it for years and that percentage drops every year until you hit a minimum. I think a 5 to 10 year period before it hits the tax minimum would be good for encouraging longer term investment.
It would also shift the focus away from companies being increasingly profitable over short terms periods. That’s simply not how any business works, and it’s ridiculous that it’s become the norm to expect that. It gives companies a chance to have bad quarters and years, without as much fear that their investment will dry up overnight.
I fear that will just cause the squeeze to focus on dividend payout, stock splits and buybacks.