Japan looks to extend stock grants to rank-and-file workers

TOKYO -- Japan wants to let companies grant free shares to a wider range of employees beyond executives, a move intended to boost individual incomes and discourage workers from leaving, Nikkei has learned.

The change proposed by a committee of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party involves restricted stock, which typically can be sold only after a vesting period, often three to five years. The party looks to submit the necessary legal revisions to parliament this fiscal year.