--- title: "Rewarding your team with share options: what founders need to know" id: "428931" type: "post" slug: "rewarding-share-options" published_at: "2026-01-30T10:13:37+00:00" modified_at: "2026-01-30T10:13:37+00:00" url: "https://seedlegals.com/resources/rewarding-share-options/" markdown_url: "https://seedlegals.com/resources/rewarding-share-options.md" excerpt: "Share options can be a powerful way to reward and retain your team. In this webinar, the SeedLegals options team explain how options work, which schemes to use, and what founders need to get right early." taxonomy_category: - "Video Zone" --- 2 min read Expert reviewed This article has been fact-checked by a SeedLegals subject matter expert. [Meet our experts](https://seedlegals.com/authors-and-experts/) and learn more about our review process and quality assurance in our [editorial policy](https://seedlegals.com/editorial-policy/) . # Rewarding your team with share options: what founders need to know Published: Jan 30, 2026 Contents [Key takeaways](#key-takeaways) [Anthony Rose Co-Founder and CEO](https://seedlegals.com/resources/author/anthony/) As startups grow, founders need ways to reward and retain their teams – especially when cash is tight. Share options are one of the most powerful tools for aligning incentives and giving employees a real stake in the company’s success. Many founders are unsure how share options actually work in practice. Questions around dilution, tax, fairness, and legal complexity can make equity feel risky or confusing – leading teams to miss out on a valuable reward mechanism. In this practical webinar, [Aaron Duke](https://seedlegals.com/resources/author/aaron/) from SeedLegals walks through how founders can use share options to reward and retain talent while protecting founder ownership. The session covers the key steps involved in setting up an options scheme, how tax treatment differs for founders and employees, and how to design a plan that aligns with your company’s long-term vision. # **Key takeaways** **Share options are a powerful way to reward and retain your team** - Share options give employees a meaningful stake in the company’s long-term success, helping align incentives beyond salary - They’re especially valuable for startups that want to attract and retain talent while managing cash carefully **Choosing the right option scheme is crucial** - [EMI options](https://seedlegals.com/resources/what-is-an-emi-scheme/) are the most tax-efficient option for qualifying UK startups and are often the preferred choice - If EMI isn’t available, other option schemes can still be effective when designed correctly - The [right scheme](https://seedlegals.com/resources/vesting-milestone-or-exit-only-which-share-option-scheme-is-best-for-you/) depends on your company’s size, structure, and growth plans **How you structure options early affects future fundraising** - Investors will look closely at your option pool size, dilution, and documentation - A clear, well-structured option plan reduces friction during due diligence and future funding rounds - Fixing mistakes later is possible, but usually more time-consuming and costly **Clear communication makes options feel genuinely rewarding** - Team members need to understand how options work, what they could be worth, and when they can exercise them - Explaining equity clearly builds trust and helps employees see options as part of their overall reward, not just a legal concept From our experts to your inbox Sign up for upcoming events, new ebooks, templates and more. ## Related posts [1 min read Meet Lawrence, your SeedLegals AI copilot “Create a SeedFAST for a £100,000 investment. Send it to Alice. Use my standard terms.” “What percent... Anthony Rose](https://seedlegals.com/resources/meet-lawrence-your-seedlegals-ai-copilot/) [2 min read What’s hot? The planet with or without Habla’s eco-friendly kilns? Peter Habla, founder of Habla Kilns, replaces traditional kilns with a fresh, sustainable alternative – the Zig Zag Kiln... Erin Deasy](https://seedlegals.com/resources/habla-kilns-interview/) [2 min read You’re techy, not finance-y – my finance team can help with that my finance team Client Manager Matt Tucker walks through the finance fixes that SeedLegals customers can use with this n... Erin Deasy](https://seedlegals.com/resources/partner-interviews-my-finance-team/)