Companies are starting to reexamine the way they allocate stock to employees. This follows several class-action lawsuits filed by workers at companies whose stocks have plummeted. As a result of this some companies are allowing employees greater flexibility to cash in their shares at any time or placing limits on the share of employees' retirement accounts that can be invested in company stock.
See "The Perils of Your Company's Stock", Karen Alexander, April 11, 2005