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61-504: Landmark Worldwide (known as Landmark Education before 2013), or simply Landmark , is an American employee-owned for-profit company that offers personal-development programs, with their most-known being the Landmark Forum . It is one of several Large Group Awareness Training programs. Several sociologists and scholars of religion have classified Landmark as a " new religious movement " (NRM), while others have called it

122-482: A community project . Landmark's entry course, the Landmark Forum, is the default first course for new participants and provides the foundation of all Landmark's other programs. The Landmark Forum takes place over three consecutive days plus an evening session (generally Friday, Saturday, Sunday, and Tuesday evening.) The Forum is attended in a group varying in size between 75 and 250 people. Landmark arranges

183-652: A for-profit company. Their use of volunteers prompted three separate investigations by the United States Department of Labor , which concluded without requiring Landmark to make any changes to their practices. In 1993 Landmark started a subsidiary named Landmark Education Business Development (LEBD), (later renamed to the Vanto Group) which uses the Landmark methodology to provide consulting services to businesses and other organizations. LEBD became

244-516: A " new religious movement " (NRM). Some scholars have categorized Landmark or its predecessor organizations as a " self religion " or a (broadly defined) new religious movement (NRM). Others question some aspects of these characterizations. Renee Lockwood, a sociology of religion researcher at The University of Sydney described Landmark as a "corporate religion" and a "religio-spiritual corporation" because of its emphasis on teaching techniques for improvement in personal and employee productivity, which

305-667: A "hard, hard sell." Landmark has faced accusations of being a cult . Several commentators unrelated to Landmark have stated that because it has no single central leader, is a secular (non-religious) organization, and it tries to unite (and re-unite) participants with their family and friends (rather than isolate them) that it does not meet many of the characteristics of a cult. Landmark has threatened and pursued lawsuits against people who have called or labeled it such, including individuals ( clinical psychology professor Margaret Singer ), magazines ( Elle , Self , and Now ) and organizations ( Cult Awareness Network ). After Singer wrote

366-416: A "self-religion," a "corporate religion," and a "religio-spiritual corporation". Landmark has sometimes been described a cult . Some religious experts dispute this claim, pointing out that Landmark does not meet some characteristics of cults, including being a religious organization, or having a central leader. Landmark has been criticized for the stress it puts on participants while it tries to convert them to

427-587: A book, Cults in Our Midst , in which she mentioned Landmark as a controversial New Age training course, Landmark sued Singer. The suit was resolved when Singer agreed to provide a sworn statement that Landmark is not a cult or sect. Singer stated that she would not recommend the group to anyone, and would not comment on whether Landmark used coercive persuasion for fear of legal recrimination from Landmark. In 1997, Landmark sued Cult Awareness Network (CAN) after they made statements alleging or implying that Landmark

488-693: A bureau again when the Department of Commerce and Labor was established. United States President William Howard Taft signed the March 4, 1913, bill (the last day of his presidency), establishing the Department of Labor as its own Cabinet -level department. William B. Wilson was appointed as the first Secretary of Labor on March 5, 1913, by President Wilson. As part of this action, the United States Conciliation Service

549-492: A co-operative legal entity) from employee ownership (where ownership is typically held as a block of shares on behalf of employees using an employee ownership trust, or company rules embed mechanisms for distributing shares to employees and ensuring they remain majority shareholders). Employee Share Ownership Plans (ESOPs) became widespread for a short period in the UK under the government of Margaret Thatcher , particularly following

610-425: A contracting scandal. In March 2013, the department began commemorating its centennial. In July 2013, Tom Perez was confirmed as Secretary of Labor. According to remarks by Perez at his swearing-in ceremony, "Boiled down to its essence, the Department of Labor is the department of opportunity." In April 2017, Alexander Acosta was confirmed as the new Secretary of Labor. In July 2019, Acosta resigned due to

671-529: A form of an employee benefit . Plans in public companies generally limit the total number or the percentage of the company's stock that may be acquired by employees under a plan. Compared with worker cooperatives or co-determination , employee share ownership may not confer any meaningful control or influence by employees in governing and managing the corporation. In the United States, private companies often use employee share ownership to maintain

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732-736: A new worldview and for its recruitment tactics: Landmark does not use advertising , but instead pressures participants during courses to recruit relatives and friends as new customers. As part of the Human Potential Movement , which was centered in San Francisco , Werner Erhard created and ran the est ( Erhard Seminars Training ) system from 1971 to 1984, which promoted the idea that individuals are empowered when they take personal responsibility for all events in their lives, both good and bad. In 1985, Erhard modified est to be gentler and more business oriented and renamed it

793-402: A significant degree of employee ownership, influence or control, but most public service mutuals identify themselves as social enterprises rather than employee owned. A worker cooperative is a cooperative owned and self-managed by its workers. It is a type of employee owned company that operates according to the international values of co-operation and adheres to an additional code, beyond

854-521: Is "to teach people that the values they have held up until now have held them back; that indeed they need a new set of values and this group [Landmark] can provide those new sets of values ... I don't know of any academic research that verifies that kind of perspective" and while some individuals feel "cleansed" or "invigorated" by Landmark's training, others may feel violated by the pressure put on them to reveal their innermost secrets to strangers during Landmark's training sessions. Landmark maintains that it

915-458: Is a majority employee-owned company. This might arise through an employee-buyout. This can be set up through an employee ownership trust . Employee-owned companies are totally or significantly owned (directly or indirectly) by their employees. Different forms of employee ownership, and the principles that underlie them, have contributed to the emergence of an international social enterprise movement. A public service mutual, by definition, has

976-426: Is about 50% of the cost of the est courses. In 2001, Rosenberg stated that Landmark had completely purchased the licenses to all of Erhard's concepts and all divisions of the company. In 2003, Landmark Education Corporation was re-structured into Landmark Education LLC , and in 2013 it was renamed Landmark Worldwide LLC. Landmark Worldwide states that it operates as a for-profit company, whose employees own all

1037-717: Is an educational foundation and denies being a religious movement. In 1985, a group of psychology researchers studied participants of the Forum, (a Large Group Awareness Training course) and compared their outcomes to a control group of non attendees. They published their results in the book Evaluating a Large Group Awareness Training . They found that participants had a short-term increase in internal locus of control (the belief that one can control their life), but found no long-term positive or negative effects on individuals' self-perception . Time reporter Nathan Thornburgh, in his review of The Landmark Forum, said "At its heart,

1098-514: Is marketed to businesses as well as government agencies. Sociologist of religion Thomas Robbins says that Landmark could be considered an NRM. George Chryssides , a researcher on NRMs and cults said: " est and Landmark may have some of the attributes typically associated with religion, but it is doubtful whether they should be accorded full status as religious organizations." Stephen A. Kent , professor of Sociology and an expert in new religious movements , stated in 2014 that Landmark's business

1159-406: Is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government . It is responsible for the administration of federal laws governing occupational safety and health , wage and hour standards, unemployment benefits , reemployment services, and occasionally, economic statistics. It is headed by the secretary of labor , who reports directly to the president of the United States and is a member of

1220-426: Is particularly common in the technology sector but also companies in other industries, such as Whole Foods Market , WinCo Foods , and Starbucks . In his 2020 presidential campaign, Bernie Sanders proposed that 20% of stocks in corporations with over $ 100 million in annual revenue be owned by the corporation's workers. United States Department of Labor The United States Department of Labor ( DOL )

1281-415: Is true, or simply works as a placebo . The Landmark Forum's niche was for people who did not have major psychological problems, but were nonetheless seeking self-improvement; these people constituted a very large part of society and were not served by the medical psychological establishment, which concentrated on those with mental illness. In 1991, Erhard sold the intellectual property rights associated with

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1342-641: The Colorado Springs Independent in 2019 said that "The tangible benefits of Landmark's courses may seem hard to pin down" though community projects do seem to be one, and "One thing is certain: Landmark is a program that is incredibly successful at making people feel good about Landmark." In 2004, the French channel France 3 aired a television documentary on Landmark in their investigative series Pièces à Conviction . The episode, called "Voyage Au Pays des Nouveaux Gourous" ("Journey to

1403-643: The American Federation of Government Employees stated their unhappiness that a longstanding flextime program reduced under the George W. Bush administration had not been restored under the Obama administration . Department officials said the program was modern and fair and that it was part of ongoing contract negotiations with the local. In August 2010, the Partnership for Public Service ranked

1464-522: The Transport Act 1985 , which deregulated and then privatised bus services. Councils seeking to protect workers ensured that employees accessed shares as privatisation took place, but employee owners soon lost their shares as they were bought up and bus companies were taken over. The disappearance of stock plans was dramatic. In the United States, there is a widespread practice of employee stock ownership. It began with industrial companies and today

1525-552: The U.S. Congress first established a Bureau of Labor Statistics with the Bureau of Labor Act, to collect information about labor and employment. This bureau was under the Department of the Interior . The Bureau started collecting economic data in 1884, and published their first report in 1886. Later, in 1888, the Bureau of Labor became an independent Department of Labor, but lacked executive rank. In February 1903, it became

1586-469: The est training which ran from 1971 to 1984) renamed est to the Landmark Forum, and changed the content to be gentler and somewhat more business oriented. He promoted the idea that all events (good and bad) of an individual's life were their own making, and that individuals would be empowered when they take personal responsibility for all events in their lives, an idea based in the Human Potential Movement . Many individuals liked this belief, whether or not it

1647-478: The Department of Labor 23rd out of 31 large agencies in its annual "Best Places to Work in the Federal Government" list. In December 2010, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis was named the chair of the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness , of which Labor has been a member since its beginnings in 1987. In July 2011, Ray Jefferson , Assistant Secretary for VETS resigned due to his involvement in

1708-441: The Forum's concepts to some of his employees, (including his brother Harry Rosenberg who became CEO) who incorporated into "Landmark Education Corporation." Landmark paid Erhard $ 3 million as an initial licensing fee, with additional payments over the next 18 years not to exceed $ 15 million. The new company offered similar courses and employed many of the same staff. The Forum was reduced in length from four days to three, and its price

1769-590: The Labor Department under Secretary George P. Shultz made a concerted effort to promote racial diversity in unions . In 1978, the Department of Labor created the Philip Arnow Award , intended to recognize outstanding career employees such as the eponymous Philip Arnow. In the same year, Carin Clauss became the department's first female solicitor of the department. In 2010, a local of

1830-459: The Landmark Forum. In 1991, he sold the company and its concepts to some of his employees, who incorporated it as Landmark Education Corporation , which was restructured into Landmark Education LLC in 2003, and then renamed Landmark Worldwide LLC in 2013. Its subsidiary, the Vanto Group , markets and delivers training and consulting to organizations. In 1985, Werner Erhard (creator of

1891-522: The U.S. Conciliation Service, which was reconstituted outside the department as a new independent agency, the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service . During the John F. Kennedy Administration , planning was undertaken to consolidate most of the department's offices, then scattered around more than 20 locations. In the mid‑1960s, construction on the "New Labor Building" began and construction

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1952-450: The U.S. and the UK there is a widespread practice of sharing this kind of ownership broadly with employees through plans in which participation is offered to all employees. The tax rules for employee share ownership vary widely from country to country. Only a few, most notably the U.S., the UK, and Ireland have significant tax laws to encourage broad-based employee share ownership. For example, in

2013-539: The U.S. there are specific rules for Employee Stock Ownership Plans (ESOPs). In the UK there are two all-employee tax advantaged plans that enable employees to acquire shares: the Share Incentive Plan and the Sharesave share option plan. Varieties of employee share ownership plan (including associated cash based incentive plans) include: Direct purchase plans simply allow employees to buy shares in

2074-484: The Vanto Group in 2008. Landmark does not use advertising to reach potential customers, but instead repeatedly pressures participants during their courses to recruit relatives, friends, and acquaintances as new clients. This complete reliance on word-of-mouth advertising to market its programs has been described by reporters variously as: "evangelical", having "a Ponzi taste," "a quasi-pyramid scheme," and including

2135-638: The activities of volunteers, and sued Jean-Pierre Brard in 2004 following his appearance in the documentary. The episode was uploaded to a variety of websites, and in October 2006 Landmark issued subpoenas pursuant to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act to Google Video , YouTube, and the Internet Archive demanding details of the identity of the person(s) who had uploaded those copies. These organizations challenged

2196-451: The company creates, with limited exceptions in various countries. Restricted stock and its close relative restricted stock units give employees the right to acquire or receive shares, by gift or purchase, once certain restrictions, such as working a certain number of years or meeting a performance target, are met. Phantom stock pays a future cash bonus equal to the value of a certain number of shares. Stock appreciation rights provide

2257-421: The company with their own money. In several countries, there are special tax-qualified plans that allow employees to buy stock either at a discount or with matching shares from the company. For instance, in the U.S., employee stock purchase plans enable employees to put aside after-tax pay over some period of time (typically 6–12 months) then use the accumulated funds to buy shares at up to a 15% discount at either

2318-559: The company. Employee ownership can be seen as a business model in its own right, in contrast to employee share ownership which may only provide selected employees with shares in their company and an insignificant overall shareholding. In the UK organisations such as the Employee Ownership Association (EOA), Scottish Enterprise , Wales Co-operative Centre and Co-operatives UK play an active role in promoting employee ownership. An employee controlled company

2379-709: The core international principles, focused on democracy and participation in the workplace. The most celebrated (and studied) case of a group of companies based wholly on co-operative principles is the Spanish Mondragon Cooperative Corporation . Spanish law, however, requires that members of the Mondragon Corporation are registered as self-employed and are not employees. This further differentiates this type of co-operative ownership (in which self-employed owner-members each have one voting share, or shares are controlled by

2440-450: The course as a dialogue in which the Forum leader presents a series of proposals and encourages participants to take the floor to relate how those ideas apply to their own individual lives . Course leaders set up rules at the beginning of the program and Landmark strongly encourages participants not to miss any part of the program. Attendees are also urged to be "coachable" (open minded to the course's concepts) and not just be observers during

2501-469: The course was a withering series of scripted reality checks meant to show us how we have created nearly everything we see as a problem" and "I benefited tremendously from the uncomfortable mirror the course had put in front of me." Reporter Laura McClure with Mother Jones attended a three and a half-day forum, which she described as "My lost weekend with the trademark happy, bathroom-break hating, slightly spooky inheritors of est." Heidi Beedle, writing for

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2562-434: The course. Various ideas are proposed for consideration and explored during the course. These include: During the course, participants are encouraged to call friends and family members with whom they feel they have unresolved tensions, and to take responsibility for their own behavior. The evening session follows closely on the three consecutive days of the course and completes the Landmark Forum. During this final session,

2623-552: The employee, enable the employee to purchase stock, which may be at a discount, or grant employees stock options. Shares allocated to employees may have a holding period before the employee takes ownership of the shares (known as vesting). The vesting of shares and the exercise of a stock option may be subject to individual or business performance conditions. Various types of employee stock ownership plans are common in most industrial and some developing countries. Executive plans are designed to recruit and reward senior or key employees. In

2684-415: The founder and co-CEO of Panda Express , has said that Landmark aided his company's success. He has strongly encouraged his employees and all managers to take Landmark's classes. Chip Wilson , the founder of Lululemon Athletica , is a follower of Landmark's principles, and has directed his companies to pay for employees to attend Landmark's classes. Some of Landmark's courses require participants to start

2745-742: The grounds of a material change in case law after the publication of an opinion in another case, Donato v. Moldow , regarding the Communications Decency Act of 1996, even though Ross wanted to continue the case in order to further investigate Landmark's educational materials and history of suing critics. Ross stated that he does not see Landmark as a cult because they have no individual leader, but he considers them harmful because subjects are harassed and intimidated, causing potentially unsafe levels of stress. Many large companies and government agencies have paid for and encouraged their employees to take Landmark's classes. Andrew Cherng ,

2806-406: The land of the new gurus") was highly critical of its subject. Shot in large part with a hidden camera, it showed attendance at a Landmark course and a visit to Landmark offices. In addition, the program included interviews with former course participants, anti-cultists, and commentators. Landmark left France following the airing of the episode and a subsequent site visit by labor inspectors that noted

2867-477: The list. Abgrall wrote a report on the organization arguing that they were not a cult, arguing that they were a "harmless organization", though did conclude by recognizing that the group may have had some warning signs. Following his report they were removed from the list, and Abgrall was paid €45,699.49 by Landmark from the period of 2001 to 2002. Abgrall complained in 2004 when interviewed by Le Parisien that this had only been revealed to block his involvement in

2928-577: The ongoing Order of the Solar Temple cult trial, and that he had no conflict of interest as he "wrote an unfavorable report and paid my taxes." In June 2004, Landmark filed a 1 million dollar lawsuit against Rick Alan Ross 's Cult Education Institute, alleging that postings on the institute's websites which characterized Landmark as a cultish organization that brainwashed their clients damaged Landmark's product. In December 2005, Landmark filed to dismiss its own lawsuit with prejudice , purportedly on

2989-427: The participants share information about their results and bring guests to learn about the Forum. A 2011 Time article stated that "Landmark has been criticized for delving into the traumas of largely unscreened participants without having mental-health professionals on hand." Sociologist Eileen Barker and sociologist of religion James A. Beckford both classified Landmark and its predecessor organization est as

3050-548: The political feasibility of the founding business plan and culture after the founders have left. Generally, the most senior employees own a majority stake and represent the leading voice in the company that employs them. They may be required to sell back the shares upon leaving the company. A number of countries have introduced tax advantaged share or share option plans to encourage employee share ownership. To facilitate employee stock ownership, companies may allocate their employees with stock , which may be at no upfront cost to

3111-473: The president's Cabinet . The purpose of the Department of Labor is to foster, promote, and develop the well-being of the wage earners, job seekers, and retirees of the United States; improve working conditions; advance opportunities for profitable employment; and assure work-related benefits and rights. In carrying out this mission, the Department of Labor administers and enforces more than 180 federal laws and thousands of federal regulations. These mandates and

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3172-448: The price at the time of purchase or the time when they started putting aside the money, whichever is lower. In the U.K., Share Incentive Plans allow employee purchases that can be matched directly by the company. Stock options give employees the right to buy a number of shares at a price fixed at grant for a defined number of years into the future. Options, and all the plans listed below, can be given to any employee under whatever rules

3233-551: The regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers. Julie Su is currently serving as acting secretary since March 11, 2023, following the resignation of Marty Walsh . The department's headquarters is housed in the Frances Perkins Building , named in honor of Frances Perkins , the Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945. In 1884,

3294-399: The right to the increase in the value of a designated number of shares, usually paid in cash but occasionally settled in shares (this is called a "stock–settled" SAR). Employee ownership is a way of running a business that can work for different sized businesses in diverse sectors. Employee ownership requires employees to own a significant and meaningful stake in their company. The size of

3355-433: The shareholding must be significant. This is accepted as meaning where 25 percent or more of the ownership of the company is broadly held by all or most employees (or on their behalf by a trust ). There are three basic forms of employee ownership: In addition, the employees' stake must give employees a meaningful voice in the company's affairs by it underpinning organisational structures that promote employee engagement in

3416-553: The shares of the corporation. The company states that it invests its surpluses "into making its programs, initiatives, and services more widely available." The company reported in 2019 that more than 2.4 million people had participated in its programs since 1991. Landmark holds seminars in approximately 125 locations in more than 21 countries. Landmark's revenue surpassed $ 100 million in 2018, with profits of about $ 5 million. The organization has 500 employees, and about 7,500 volunteers, an unusually large number of volunteers for

3477-563: The subpoenas and the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) became involved, planning to file a motion to quash Landmark's DMCA subpoena to Google Video. Landmark eventually withdrew its subpoenas. In " The Plan ," the third episode of the second season of the American drama television series Six Feet Under , est and The Forum are parodied. Employee-owned Most corporations use stock ownership plans as

3538-530: Was a cult. That suit was resolved when CAN stated that it has no evidence that Landmark is a cult. In 2004, it was revealed that Landmark had paid French anti-cult expert Jean-Marie Abgrall to "audit" them. Landmark had been listed as a cult by the Parliamentary Commission on Cults in France 1995 list of cults; displeased by their designation, they contacted Abgrall to have them removed from

3599-644: Was created as an agency within the department; its purpose was to provide mediation for labor disputes . In October 1919, Secretary Wilson chaired the first meeting of the International Labour Organization even though the U.S. was not yet a member. In September 1916, the Federal Employees' Compensation Act introduced benefits to workers who are injured or contract illnesses in the workplace. The act established an agency responsible for federal workers' compensation, which

3660-413: Was finished in 1975. In 1980, it was named in honor of Frances Perkins. President Lyndon B. Johnson asked Congress to consider the idea of reuniting Commerce and Labor. He argued that the two departments had similar goals and that they would have more efficient channels of communication in a single department. However, Congress never acted on it. In the 1970s, following the civil rights movement ,

3721-515: Was transferred to the Labor Department in the 1940s and has become known as the Office of Workers' Compensation Programs . Frances Perkins , the first female cabinet member, was appointed to be Secretary of Labor by President Roosevelt on March 4, 1933. Perkins served for 12 years, and became the longest-serving Secretary of Labor. The passage of the Taft–Hartley Act in 1947 led to the end of

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