ISS 2021 Policy Updates UK & Europe

• The company is a constituent of the FTSE 350 (excluding investment trusts) and the board does not comprise at least 33 percent representation of women, in line with the recommendation of the Hampton-Alexander Review.
• The company (excluding investment trusts) is a constituent of any of the following, and there is not at least one woman on the board:
• FTSE SmallCap;
• ISEQ 20;
• Listed on the AIM with a market capitalisation of over GBP 500 million."
  

Remuneration Policy

Pension Contribution Rates

Following evolving market practice subsequent to the coming into force of the 2018 UK Code (which recommends that pension contribution rates should be aligned to the wider workforce), ISS guidelines now state that, amongst other factors, they will review whether the company's approach to fixed remuneration is appropriate with "particular focus on the extent to which pension contributions are aligned with those available to the wider workforce, as recommended by the UK Code".

Post-employment Shareholdings

In line with the introduction of post-employment shareholdings by the 2018 UK Code, ISS now states that the remuneration policies shall provide for a 200% of salary shareholding requirement for executive directors "with an appropriate post-employment shareholding requirement in place".

Continental Europe

Appointment of Auditors and Auditor Fees

Director Elections

Former CEO election as Chairman

Overboarding

Composition of committees

• Fewer than 50 percent of the remuneration committee members, who are elected by shareholders in such capacity or another – excluding, where relevant, employee shareholder representatives – would be independent; or
• Fewer than one-third of all remuneration committee members would be independent."

Lastly the recommendation to vote against the "re-election of executives who serve on the company's audit or remuneration committee" has been extended from applying only to Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Iceland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland to being applicable across all European markets.

Board gender diversity

ISS recommends to "vote against the chair of the nomination committee (or other directors on a case-by-case basis) if:

The underrepresented gender accounts for less than 30 percent (or any higher domestic threshold) of board directors of a widely held company.

Both genders are not represented on the board of a non widely-held company."

The updated guidelines also state that mitigating factors may include:

• "Compliance with the relevant standard at the preceding annual meeting and a firm commitment, publicly available, to comply with the relevant standard within a year; or
  
• Other relevant factors as applicable."
  

The guidelines update specifies that as regards the 30 percent threshold mentioned above, a "one-year transitional period will apply in 2021. During this transitional period, vote recommendations will not be impacted by the policy applicable to widely held companies. The latter will come into effect on Feb. 1, 2022."

Capital structure

Double-voting rights (France)

A section regarding double-voting rights under the Florange Act in France has been removed as it is no longer relevant.

Share repurchase plans (Italy and Germany)

Under the 2021 ISS guidelines, "The amendment repeals the market specific exceptions on the use of derivatives in the context of share repurchase plans. These exceptions to the ISS general guidelines currently concern Germany and Italy only. The change is mainly justified by the application of the Market Abuse Regulation at the EU level, which imposes strict rules on share repurchase".

Executive compensation

Following the implementation of the SRD II across European markets, the ISS guidelines now state that: "The level of disclosure of the proposed compensation policy and remuneration report shall be sufficient for shareholders to make an informed decision and shall be in line with what local market best practice standards dictate."
As regards the content of the remuneration report, the ISS guidelines now state that "Remuneration report disclosure is expected to include amongst others: amounts paid to executives, alignment between company performance and payout to executives, disclosure of variable incentive targets and according levels of achievement and performance awards made, after the relevant performance period (ex-post), and disclosure and explanation of use of any discretionary authority or derogation clause by the board or remuneration committee to adjust pay outcomes".

Covid-19 Guidance

Alongside the changes to the guidelines, ISS has also noted that the policy guidance issued on 8 April 2020 in response to the impact of the pandemic received strong feedback "from ISS's 2020 global benchmark policy survey [and] ISS intends to carry this or similar policy guidance[5] into 2021 and update going forward as needed." The provisions included therein apply to AGM format and timing, poison pills, shareholder rights, director attendance, changes to boards, and changes to compensation, capital structure, dividends and other payouts.

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