- menu close2 breakingnews Subscribe profile search News chevron_right All news Scoops Oddities New arrivals Practical advice Manufacturer recalls Economics and Politics The Retro Guide Vans & Campervans Motorcycles & Scooters Diary Features Reviews chevron_right All reviews Matches & Comparisons Videos New energies chevron_right Hybrid cars Electric cars Green mobility Commercial vehicles chevron_right News Reviews Fleets Fleets Used & Reliability Brands chevron_right Audi BMW BYD Citroën Dacia DS Kia LeapMotor Lexus Mercedes Mini Nissan Peugeot Renault Tesla Toyota Volkswagen All brands Motorsport chevron_right All motorsport news Formula 1 Formula 1 Calendar MotoGP MotoGP Calendar Cancel search ok Paris Motor Show 2026 Become an Ambassador All the cars of the world 2026-2027 Reliability: we want your opinion chevron_left chevron_right HomeNewsAutomotive economic and political news Facing difficulties, Porsche decides to stop paying cash bonuses to its employees Facing difficulties, Porsche decides to stop paying cash bonuses to its employees Published on 09/10/2026 at 12:36 share Share: Porsche has long been renowned for its generous bonuses to its thousands of employees. But faced with its difficulties, the brand has had to change tack. In addition to reduced, or even completely eliminated, bonuses, the carmaker has found another solution. What if financial rewards gave way to shares? That is what the brand now plans. A first step in the evolution of remuneration, which will place greater emphasis on company performance in the future. Read the rest of the content after this advertisement In brief Transformation of employee remuneration: Facing falling sales, Porsche is replacing its traditional bonuses with company shares to cut costs and link income to stock market performance.
- Widespread employee share ownership: Integrated into a vast restructuring plan, this financial strategy reflects a global trend in the automotive sector already deployed by Renault and Stellantis.
Replacing cash bonuses with shares
Bonuses now paid in the form of shares
Replacing cash bonuses with shares. This is the solution Porsche has found to make savings while involving its employees more closely in the company’s results. This idea was announced by Jochen Breck, the chief financial officer, during capital markets day on 7 October. Officially, the objective of this measure is to “turn our employees into true entrepreneurs. So that they fight for quality, for the product, and for cost improvement measures”. To implement this scheme, the brand plans to buy back its own shares on the market before distributing them to employees. However, not everyone is expected to benefit, especially as the generous annual bonus has disappeared.
These share bonuses are expected to be reserved, at least initially, for Porsche executives. This scheme is part of a broader turnaround plan. Ultimately, performance-related pay tied to company results will account for 30% of income paid out, compared with 10% currently. A measure that risks going down badly with employees, given the dismal stock market performance in recent months. The fall in operating profit in 2025, as well as that of the margin, has not helped matters. A situation explained in particular by declining sales in China and the United States.
A way to remotivate employees, really
An economic context under tension at the manufacturer
This measure comes as Porsche plans a redundancy scheme involving the elimination of 9,000 jobs. Among them are numerous management positions, where headcounts are expected to drop by 40%. The goal is to reduce labour-related costs by 30% by 2030. The brand nevertheless adds some nuances to these ambitions: certain share bonuses will only be paid to the highest-performing employees. Furthermore, it forecasts that its margin should recover to a rate of between 10 and 15% by 2030. If this scenario materialises, the share price could rise and this form of remuneration could become attractive to employees. But this remains speculative. In any case, linking a portion of income to stock market performance will allow Porsche to achieve savings on its payroll, regardless of its financial health.
This strategy is not unprecedented. Renault introduced it as early as 2022 as part of its Renaulution plan, granting eight free shares to its employees and offering them preferential rates. Since 2023, Stellantis has offered a 20% discount to employees wishing to acquire group shares. The result is convincing: more than 22 million shares have been purchased since. The manufacturer also adds an extra contribution of up to the equivalent of €1,000. Even Chinese brands are getting on board. Xpeng granted nearly 2.3 million shares to 69 hand-picked employees as part of an incentive plan launched in 2025. The economic situation of the Chinese carmaker is, however, quite different, and major savings are not really a priority for it.
