Bank of America will give stock awards currently worth $2,900 to $27,000 to 97% of its workforce in a move to get employees to stay with the company

• Bank of America is introducing a new awards program to retain employees during the Great Reshuffle.
• The bank has set aside $1 billion worth of stock to offer larger bonuses that vest over four years.

In a bid to attract and retain talent during the Great Reshuffle, Bank of America is dramatically expanding its employee stock awards program to cover roughly 97% of its global workforce.

The bank set aside $1 billion worth of stock to distribute to eligible employees, many of whom formerly received cash awards under similar programs, according to an internal memo from CEO Brian Moynihan.

"For this year, the estimated value of these awards is multiple times higher than the prior cash awards," Moynihan said.

Actual awards will be pegged to salaries, but are expected to range from 65 to 600 shares — worth an estimated $2,900 to $27,000, based on a share price of $45. Unlike the cash awards, the shares will take four years to fully vest.

Since 2017, the bank has given a total of $3.3 billion in stock awards to employees, but this is the first year that employees earning less than $100,000 have been able to participate.

"That level of distribution is incredibly high," Brian Kropp, head of Gartner's human resources practice, told CNN Business, which first reported on the bonuses. "The fact they are pushing out that kind of award across the workforce is rare."

"Restricted stock creates a long-term retention hook rather than just a cash bonus," Kropp added.

The awards are in addition to employees' regular salaries and bonus packages, and are tied to total company performance. Bank of America reported record profits of $32 billion in 2021, while the share price climbed 47% for the year.