By TheStreet Staff What Are Employee Stock Options? Where Do They Come From? How Much Are They Worth?As an incentive to work hard and help their company grow, employers often give their employees equity compensation in the form of stock options. Just like financial options, employee stock options are contracts that give stakeholders the right to exercise a set number of company shares. These shares are valued at a predetermined price, known as the strike price, over a distinct timeframe, called the exercise period. The strike price is usually the market price that the stock was valued at when …