There hasn't exactly been a run on pitchforks and torches (yet), but there is obviously unrest among some citizens of countries around the world. And while some may find the motivations and agendas behind the Occupy Wall Street movement nebulous at best, it is clear that people are upset about something; hordes of people do not camp out in wintry weather for weeks on end to protest nothing. Or do they?

So while the explanations for the protests are as varied as the people attending them, there do seem to be some recurring themes, not the least of which is the widening gap between the have and have-nots. While CEO pay and executive bonuses have continued to climb, average U.S. wages have fallen. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, median household income fell from about $53,000 to $49,000 between 2007 and 2010. AFL-CIO calculations put the average CEO pay at 343 times that of the average U.S. worker.

So once again, the issue of executive pay is top-of-mind. Back in the mid-nineties, when most everyone's boat was being lifted by positive economic seas, there didn't seem to be as much noise around the topic of how much executives are paid. But as millions of Americans limp along in a persistently lame economy, the fact that many executives are not only not hurting but indeed flourishing seems to have contributed to a rising tide of anger that's hitting a breaking point.

When the economy went south, most people were not quick to condemn business - most organizations were taking big losses as well, and few will argue that we don't need corporations to stay healthy and keep the economy moving. What really turned the tide was the sweetheart deal the banks were handed to get themselves out of the mess they created with the expectation that once the banks were out of trouble, they would bring everybody else with them. But once they made it, the banks slammed the door behind them. And gave themselves bonuses.

Corporations slowly began to recover, but instead of pushing the economy along, they hunkered down and hoarded cash as if they were waiting for the zombie apocalypse. Well, in a sense, it came. The walking dead are millions of people who would pull themselves up by their bootstraps - if they had any. The Occupy protesters aren't necessarily sore losers who want millions of dollars for doing nothing; the overarching theme seems to be that the way we got to where we are simply wasn't fair.

In the end, will these protests affect how companies do business? It's hard to say, but even the financial meltdown didn't create a lot of wholesale change, nor any reform. If the protests do continue and perhaps pick up steam, especially heading into a presidential election year, it will not be surprising to see the emergence of some government initiatives to address the concerns.

So what does this all mean for those of us who headed into the office this morning rather than an encampment downtown? Well, now might be a good time to evaluate your organization's executive compensation strategy. A movement like Occupy Wall Street could easily influence a series of new regulations around how executives get paid, and knowing exactly where your organization stands could place you ahead of the curve.

Take a look back at the plan and the payouts in good and bad times over the past few years. Is there anything that immediately raises a red flag? Does the variability of executive compensation match everyone else's or is the "retention" trump card more powerful for executives? Do executives get paid no matter what the results? We are still seeing examples of CEOs with severance clauses that have absolutely no connection to performance. Case in point: Jon Corzine's $11 million in stock options that will immediately vest if he manages to sell his financial firm MF Global Holdings. It does not matter that his 18-month tenure has seen the company's stock drop from $7 to $1.20.

It's not just executive compensation, either. Incentive plans need to be scrutinized as well. Are there safeguards against excessive risk-taking? Are short-term incentives balanced with long-term rewards? Is there alignment with shareholders through equity grants? Do the grants have adequate performance or other restrictions on them? Anything that even looks improper should be vetted. It can even be helpful to run the simple calculation of average employee salary against that of the average executive. Does it seem grossly out of synch?

Even if there are no changes to be made, being intimately familiar with your organization's executive compensation strategy can be immensely helpful, especially with the prospect of having to provide details to either the government or the public at large. You never know - stranger things have happened.

David Wentworth has been a senior research analyst for the Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) since 2005. He has published several reports and articles on various human capital subjects with an emphasis on workforce technology. The views (if any) represented in this article are his and his alone, and do not necessarily reflect the views of i4cp or any of its employees. Mr. Wentworth is currently building his zombie-proof fallout shelter and hoarding Halloween candy. If you want in when the apocalypse hits, you can reach him here: (727) 345-2226 or david.wentworth@i4cp.com