I think the question gets to the root of how wages are determined. It's easy to say things like "companies ought to share the profits with their employees," but when you look more closely at the issue, it becomes clear that mandating this sort of thing would just hurt workers. I personally believe less than 1% would take the deal in the first case, and less than 5% in the second case. I also think that the percentages would be terribly low even up into middle class salaries. I believe a huge majority of people earning 45k a year would rather get the cash instead of 36k + equity.
Similarly, this logic can be extended down to the lowest wages paid in third-world countries. If you offered Cambodian garment workers a proposal where they would make 80% as much, but have air-conditioning, more time off, and nicer working conditions, they would almost always want the extra money instead.
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