We have something like it in Sweden too at certain companies where employes often can buy a fixed amount of shares in their employee for a below market price. The problem here is that people are generally really bad at risk management, and lots of people will end up with large sums invested in this single company and no other companies.
So when the company falls on hard times you not only lose your job, but also your savings. This at the very time you would actually need those savings... Peak oil is not an energy crisis. It is a liquid fuel crisis.