Do employees have to buy shares before the company goes public?

Legal analysis: employees don't have to buy shares before the company goes public. Employee stock ownership is beneficial to the market value management of listed companies, but employee stock ownership is voluntary, not mandatory by the company.

Legal basis: Guiding Opinions on Pilot Project of Employee Stock Ownership Plan of Listed Companies issued by China Securities Regulatory Commission.

First, the basic principles of employee stock ownership plan (II) the principle of voluntary participation

A listed company shall follow the company's independent decision to implement the employee stock ownership plan, and employees shall voluntarily participate. A listed company shall not force employees to participate in the employee stock ownership plan of the company by means of apportionment or compulsory distribution.

Two. The main contents of the employee stock ownership plan (IV) The employee stock ownership plan refers to the institutional arrangement that a listed company enables employees to acquire shares of the company and hold them for a long time according to the wishes of employees, and distribute the shares to employees according to the agreement. The participants in the employee stock ownership plan are employees of the company, including managers.