Exclusive Employment During employment with the Company, Executive will not do anything to compete with the Company’s present or contemplated business, nor will he plan or organize any competitive business activity. Executive will not enter into any agreement which conflicts with his duties or obligations to the Company. Executive will not during his employment or within one (1) year after it ends, without the Company’s express written consent, directly or indirectly, solicit or encourage any employee, agent, independent contractor, supplier, customer, consultant or any other person or company to terminate or alter a relationship with the Company.
Alternative Employment An employer, in a particular redundancy case, may make application to the Commission to have the general severance pay prescription varied if the employer obtains acceptable alternative employment for an employee.
Employees and Compensation (A) Shown on Schedule 6.15(A) is a list of the name of each employee, sales agent or other Person, separately identified as to part-time or full-time, who is currently employed in the Business by Seller, together with each Person’s job classification, date of hire, and current rate of compensation (or method for computing same). All employees of Seller are “at will” employees whose employment may be terminated by Seller at any time, with or without notice or cause.
(B) Schedule 6.15(B) hereto lists all compensation and benefit plans, contracts and arrangements maintained, sponsored or participated in by Seller or any of its Affiliates in connection with the Business and in effect as of the date hereof including, without limitation, all pension (including all such employee pension benefit plans as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), profit-sharing, savings and thrift, fringe benefit, bonus, incentive or deferred compensation, severance pay and medical and life insurance plans and employee welfare plans as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA that are sponsored by Seller or any of its Affiliates and in which any employees of Seller participate (collectively, “Employee Benefit Plans”).
(C) As to Employee Benefit Plans sponsored by Seller or its Affiliates that are “employee pension benefit plans” as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA, such plans sponsored by Seller or its Affiliates are tax qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, are not currently under examination by, nor are any matters pending before, the Internal Revenue Service, the Employee Benefits Security Administration or any quasi-government agency, are not subject to any claim, suit or arbitration (other than routine claims for benefits), are not subject to the minimum funding standards of Code Section 412, are in compliance with and have been administered in accordance with their terms and in compliance with all applicable requirements of law, including, but not limited to, the Code and ERISA, and there have been no prohibited transactions as defined in Code Section 4975 or ERISA Section 406 with respect to such plans that could subject Seller or its Affiliates to a tax or penalty under Code Section 4975 or ERISA Section 502(i).
(D) Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates has incurred any Liability under Title IV of ERISA that has or could, after the Effective Date, become a Lien upon any of the Purchased Assets pursuant to ERISA Section 4068.
(E) Neither Seller nor any of its Affiliates is or has ever been required to contribute to any “multiemployer plan,” as such term is defined in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, in which any employees of Seller in connection with the Business participate.
(F) Except as set forth in Schedule 6.15(F), no Employee Benefit Plan provides medical, surgical, hospitalization, death or similar benefits (whether or not insured) for employees for period extending beyond their retirement or other termination of service, other than (i) coverage mandated by applicable law, or (ii) death benefits under any pension plan.
(G) For the purposes of this Section 6.15, Seller shall include all trades or business under common control with Seller as provided in the regulations under Code Section 414(c).
Restricted Employment for Certain State Personnel Contractor acknowledges that, pursuant to Section 572.069 of the Texas Government Code, a former state officer or employee of a state agency who during the period of state service or employment participated on behalf of a state agency in a procurement or contract negotiation involving Contractor may not accept employment from Contractor before the second anniversary of the date the Contract is signed or the procurement is terminated or withdrawn.
Other Employment Benefits During the Employment Term, the Executive shall be entitled to the following employment benefits:
(a) four (4) weeks of paid vacation in each fiscal year of EDGEN while the Executive is employed hereunder (one week of which, if not used by the Executive in any given fiscal year, may be carried over to the next fiscal year; provided, that the Executive shall not have more than five (5) weeks of paid vacation in any given fiscal year as a result of such carry over), and sick leave in accordance with EDGEN’s policies from time to time in effect for executive officers of EDGEN; provided, that, except as provided herein, vacation and/or sick leave time not used in any year may not be carried over or transferred from one year to another or converted to cash, except in a year in which there is a Change of Control (as hereinafter defined) where the Executive is no longer employed;
(b) participation, subject to qualification requirements, in medical, life or other insurance or hospitalization plans and long-term disability policies which are presently in effect or hereinafter instituted by EDGEN and applicable to its executive officers generally;
(c) participation, subject to classification requirements and continued maintenance thereof by EDGEN in other Executive benefit plans, such as pension and profit sharing plans, which are from time to time applicable to EDGEN’s executive officers generally;
(d) an automobile allowance of $1,200 per month, which shall be used by the Executive to cover all lease and insurance payments with respect to one automobile of the Executive’s choice for business purposes, which automobile’s retail value shall not exceed $75,000. The Executive shall provide proof of insurance in limits and with a company approved by EDGEN. EDGEN shall also be listed as a “named insured” under the policy. EDGEN shall reimburse the Executive, upon the presentation of appropriate receipts, for all reasonable and necessary maintenance, repair and gasoline costs incurred by the Executive in connection with the use of such automobile; provided, that such costs are directly related to the performance by the Executive of his obligations to EDGEN and/or to Parent hereunder;
(e) EDGEN shall purchase (subject to the insurability of the Executive at standard rates) a life insurance policy in the amount of $1,000,000 on the life of the Executive to provide benefits under Section 5.2 (b) hereof; and
(f) a supplemental payment of $9500 per annum (the “Supplemental Payment”), which shall be paid in accordance with EDGEN’s customary payroll practices which are in effect from time to time during the Employment Term.
Other Employment Executive shall not be obligated to seek other employment in mitigation of the amounts payable or arrangements made under this section 3, and the obtaining of any such other employment shall in no event result in any reduction of Company’s obligations to make the payments and arrangements required to be made under this section 3, except to the extent otherwise specifically provided in this Agreement.
Employees of the Company During the Restricted Period and thereafter for as long as the Executive shall remain an employee of or consultant to the Company, the Executive shall not, directly or indirectly, hire or solicit any employee or independent sales agent of the Company away from the Company or encourage any such employee or agent to leave such employment.
Non-Solicitation of Employees and Consultants During the Period of Employment and for a period of twenty-four (24) months after the Severance Date, the Executive will not directly or indirectly through any other Person (i) induce or attempt to induce any employee or independent contractor of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company to leave the employ or service, as applicable, of the Company or such Affiliate, or in any way interfere with the relationship between the Company or any such Affiliate, on the one hand, and any employee or independent contractor thereof, on the other hand, or (ii) hire any person who was an employee of the Company or any Affiliate of the Company until twelve (12) months after such individual’s employment relationship with the Company or such Affiliate has been terminated.
Employees and Employee Benefits (a) Prior to the Closing Date, Buyer shall determine in its sole discretion which Business Employees, if any, to offer employment, and shall set initial terms and conditions of employment for any such employees to whom it offers employment, including wages, benefits, job duties and responsibilities, and work assignments. Only Business Employees who are offered and accept such offers of employment, and actually commence employment with Buyer based upon the initial terms and conditions set by Buyer, shall become “Buyer Employees” after the Closing Date. Seller shall make available for interviews the Business Employees if so requested by Buyer to facilitate Buyer’s right to offer employment to such employees in its sole discretion pursuant to this Section 6.03(a). Buyer shall be responsible for any liability, obligation or commitment arising out of or relating to the (i) employment (including the application for or termination of employment) of any Buyer Employee by Buyer arising after the Closing Date pursuant to the terms and conditions of employment set by Buyer, and (ii) the provision of services by any other Person to Buyer after the Closing Date.
(b) Seller shall terminate, or shall cause to be terminated, on or prior to the Closing Date the employment and service of all Business Employees (which shall include releasing such Business Employees from any obligations to Seller or its Affiliates following the Closing Date incurred or that arose in connection with such employment or service, including confidentiality, non-competition and non-solicitation agreements) who are offered and accept offers of employment with Buyer pursuant to this Section 6.03. For the avoidance of doubt, (i) Buyer shall not be obligated to provide any severance, separation pay, final wage payments, or other payment or benefits to any Business Employee on account of any termination of such Business Employee’s employment on or before the Closing Date, and (ii) Seller acknowledges and agrees that any and all liabilities, obligations or commitments of Seller to pay any employee or former employee of Seller (including the Buyer Employees) for any salary, bonus, commission, vacation pay, severance, separation, key employee retention payments, or other compensation earned or accrued on or prior to the Closing Date, shall be an Excluded Liability and be borne solely by Seller.
(c) Seller shall have full responsibility under the WARN Act or any other labor or employment Law relating to any obligation, act, or omission of Seller prior to or on the Closing Date with respect to the Business Employees including, without limitation, any Liabilities that result from the Business Employees’ separation of employment from Seller or Business Employees not becoming Buyer Employees.
(d) With respect to any employee benefit plan maintained by Buyer or an Affiliate of Buyer for the benefit of any Buyer Employee (collectively, “Buyer Benefit Plans”), effective as of the Closing, Buyer shall, or shall cause its Affiliate to, recognize, to the extent permitted under applicable Law, all service of the Buyer Employees with Seller, as if such service were with Buyer, for purposes of any applicable Buyer Benefit Plan; provided, however, such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (x) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (y) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Benefit Plan. Further, with respect to each Buyer Benefit Plan, in which any Buyer Employee will be eligible to participate effective as of the Closing, Buyer shall, or shall cause its applicable Affiliate(s) to, (i) waive, to the extent permitted under applicable Law, all pre-existing conditions, exclusions and waiting periods with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to such Buyer Employee under any such Buyer Benefit Plan in which such Buyer Employee may be eligible to participate on or after the Closing, except to the extent such pre-existing conditions, exclusions or waiting periods would apply under the analogous Benefit Plan; and (ii) to the extent permitted under applicable Law, provide each such Buyer Employee with credit for any payments made under any cost-sharing provisions prior to the Closing (to the same extent such credit was given under the analogous Benefit Plan prior to the Closing) in satisfying any applicable cost-sharing provisions in any Buyer Benefit Plan in which such Buyer Employee may be eligible to participate on or after the Closing.
(e) Effective as of the Closing Date, the Buyer Employees shall cease active participation in the Benefit Plans. Seller shall remain liable for all eligible claims for benefits under the Benefit Plans that are incurred by the Business Employees on or prior to the Closing Date. For purposes of this Agreement, the following claims shall be deemed to be incurred as follows: (i) life, accidental death and dismemberment, short-term disability, and workers’ compensation insurance benefits, on the event giving rise to such benefits; (ii) medical, vision, dental, and prescription drug benefits, on the date the applicable services, materials or supplies were provided; and (iii) long-term disability benefits, on the eligibility date determined by the long-term disability insurance carrier for the plan in which the applicable Business Employee participates.
(f) Buyer and Seller intend that the transactions contemplated by this Agreement should not constitute a separation, termination or severance of employment of any Business Employee who accepts an employment offer by Buyer that is consistent with the requirements of Section 6.03(b), including for purposes of any Benefit Plan that provides for separation, termination or severance benefits (if any). Each Buyer Employee shall resign from Seller and accept employment with Buyer at the same time resulting in no period of unemployment. Buyer shall be liable and hold Seller harmless for any claims relating to the employment of any Buyer Employee only to the extent such claims relate to activity occurring after the Closing Date.
(g) This Section 6.03 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 6.03, express or implied, shall confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 6.03. Nothing contained herein, express or implied, shall be construed to establish, amend or modify any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the terms set forth in this Section 6.03 shall not create any right in any Business Employee, Buyer Employee or any other Person to any continued employment with Buyer or any of its Affiliates or compensation or benefits of any nature or kind whatsoever.
(h) Seller shall follow the “standard procedure” for preparing and filing Internal Revenue Service Forms W-2 (Wage and Tax Statements), as described in Revenue Procedure 2004-53 for Buyer Employees. Under this procedure, (i) Seller shall provide all required Forms W-2 to (x) all Buyer Employees reflecting wages paid and Taxes withheld by Seller in respect of such Buyer Employees’ employment with Seller through the Closing Date, and (y) all other employees and former employees of Seller who are not Buyer Employees reflecting all wages paid and taxes withheld by Seller, and (ii) Buyer (or one of its Affiliates) shall provide all required Forms W-2 to all Buyer Employees reflecting all wages paid and taxes withheld by Buyer (or one of its Affiliates) after the Closing Date.
Non-Solicitation of Employees and Customers At all times during Employee's employment hereunder, or for such additional periods as may otherwise be set forth in this Agreement in reference to this Paragraph 15, Employee shall not, directly or indirectly, for himself or for any other person, firm, corporation, partnership, association or other entity (a) attempt to employ, employ or enter into any contractual arrangement with any employee or former employee of the Company, its affiliates, subsidiaries or predecessors in interest, unless such employee or former employee has not been employed by the Company, its affiliates, subsidiaries or predecessors in interest during the twelve months prior to Employee's attempt to employ him, or (b) call on or solicit any of the actual or targeted prospective customers of the Company or its affiliates, subsidiaries or predecessors in interest with respect to any matters related to or competitive with the business of the Company.
