Blue Ridge Paper Products’ (BRPP) policy

There is a thin line between the Blue Ridge Paper Products policy (BRPP) and the traditional ownership employee stock ownership plan (ESOP). In the case of BRPP, the organization allowed the staff to purchase a plan with a union for a specified wage cut. The benefits were limited for a specific period, upon which they could be redeemed or reinvested into the plan for another period. In the case of employee stock ownership plans (ESOPs), the employer sets up a contribution plan where the employees get a share in the company's ownership subject to their contributions. The benefits are paid back to the employee upon the maturations period, which in most cases is when they retire or leave an organization for other reasons. The latter implies allowing an employee to be a part of an organization through contributions besides the benefits earned on the stock.