I would like to pose a question to other owners or employees about profit sharing. As a small brewery, we need to work hard as a team in this ever tightening market. Our salaries are competitive, and our benefits become better each year, but I am looking to add more to both keep people motivated, but also to demonstrate how individual effort can pay off and that we are in this together. We are looking to implement a profit sharing program for brewery employees (brewers, cellar workers, sales/marketing). I know I cannot promise huge raises each year, but I would like to be able to share in the brewery's good fortune, should we have it. Have any of you out there put together any sort of profit sharing program or do you currently work within one? 

I am curious about metrics used, if any, to measure if employees qualify for the profit sharing. Also, what percentage is taken from profits and given to the sharing program?

My current thoughts are to set up goals with each employee or employee group that can be tracked throughout the year. Hitting these goals qualifies the employee for the profit sharing. For those that qualify, which I would want to be everyone, the profit is split evenly. I thought about a hierarchy, but my belief is that each employee is compensated with income appropriately based on their position and rank, and everyone has responsibilities, so if we all do our job, we are profitable, and thus share in it equally. 

I could ramble about this for awhile. I would prefer to hear your thoughts and start the discussion.

Cheers,

Ben Engler, Occidental Brewing Co