Incentive Systems
Employee Profit-Sharing Plan
In 2022, Bittium had an employee profit-sharing plan that applies to all employees, excluding those covered by other short-term bonus plans. According to the 2022 profit-sharing plan, a separately defined part of Bittium´s operating profit will be distributed to employees as a profit-sharing bonus in proportion to salaries. The goal of the system is to enable the company´s success to be shared with employees and to engage employees.
Variable Pay
The variable pay is paid based on the achievement of goals. In 2022, earning period for the variable pay was the calendar year. The targets are determined separately for each earning period. The setting of targets and the review of their achievement is decided on a one-over-one basis. The criteria for the short-term merit pay are the financial and strategic targets of the Company. In addition, part of the targets can be personal targets, which may vary between duties. The scope of the variable pay system includes company executives. In addition, those working in sales positions have separate reward systems related to sales goals.
Management Share-Based Incentive Plan
The management of the Bittium group´s share-based long-term incentive scheme comprises a Performance Share Plan (“PSP´). The objectives of the Performance Share Plan are to align the interests of Bittium´s management with those of the Company´s shareholders and, thus, promote shareholder value creation in the long term, commit the management to achieve Bittium´s strategic targets, and the retention of Bittium´s management. The Performance Share Plan consists of three annually commencing three-year performance share plans, PSP 2020–2022, PSP 2021–2023, and PSP 2022–2024, each with a one-year performance period, which is followed by the payment of the share reward and a two-year transfer restriction period. The commencement of each plan is, however, subject to a separate Board decision. Further information can be found on the company´s internet pages at the address www.bittium.com.
On February 10, 2022, the Board of Directors of Bittium Corporation decided on the new period in the share-based long-term incentive scheme for the Bittium group´s management. The members of Bittium´s Management Group are eligible to participate in the third PSP 2022–2024 plan. The performance measures based on which the potential share reward under PSP 2022–2024 will be paid are the revenue growth and cash flow before the financial items of Bittium. A precondition for the payment of the share reward is, in addition, that the employment relationship of the participant with Bittium continues at the time the reward is paid. The potential reward will be paid in shares of Bittium. If all the performance targets set for the third plan, PSP 2022–2024, are fully achieved, the aggregate maximum number of shares to be paid based on this second plan is approximately 122,100 shares (gross before the withholding of the applicable payroll tax). The aggregate gross value of PSP 2022–2024, estimated based on the volume-weighted average quotation of Bittium´s share during the period H2/2021, is approximately EUR 0.7 million.
On March 24, 2022, Bittium Corporation´s Board of Directors decided on the payment of the Company´s share-based incentive system´s share bonuses to the Company´s management. Share premiums were paid in Bittium Corporation shares that can be acquired at the price formed in public trading. The decision was about the second Performance Share Plan (PSP 2021–2023) of the share-based incentive scheme. In the Share Issue, 13,467 new shares of the Company were issued without consideration to the management entitled to share rewards according to the terms and conditions of the share-based incentive scheme. A total of eight (8) persons from the Company´s management group were in the target group of the payment.