Defined Benefit Pension Plans The Borrower will not adopt, create, assume or become a party to any defined benefit pension plan, unless disclosed to the Lender pursuant to Section 5.10.
Welfare, Pension and Incentive Benefit Plans During the Employment Period, Executive (and his eligible spouse and dependents) shall be entitled to participate in all the welfare benefit plans and programs maintained by the Company from time-to-time for the benefit of its senior executives including, without limitation, all medical, hospitalization, dental, disability, accidental death and dismemberment and travel accident insurance plans and programs. In addition, during the Employment Period, Executive shall be eligible to participate in all pension, retirement, savings and other employee benefit plans and programs maintained from time-to-time by the Company for the benefit of its senior executives, other than any annual cash incentive plan.
Employee Matters; ERISA 15 Section 4.11
Employee Matters; Benefit Plans (a) Subject to applicable Legal Requirements, the employment of each of the Company’s employees is terminable by the Company at will. The Company is not a party to, nor is currently negotiating in connection with entering into, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor organization or work council representing any of its employees and there are no labor organizations representing, purporting to represent or, to the knowledge of the Company, seeking to represent any employees of the Company. Since January 1, 2019, there has not been any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or any union organizing activity, or any threat thereof, in each case, involving any of the Company’s employees. There is not now pending, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no Person has threatened in writing to commence, any such strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or union organizing activity or any similar activity or dispute.
(b) Since January 1, 2019, there has been no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing relating to the employment or engagement of any Company Associate. Since January 1, 2019, the Company has complied with all applicable Legal Requirements related to employment, including employment practices, payment of wages and hours of work, leaves of absence, plant closing notification, privacy rights, labor dispute, workplace safety, retaliation, immigration, and discrimination matters, except any lack of compliance which has not had and would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Section 3.16(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of each Employee Plan. The Company has either delivered or made available to Parent or Parent’s Representatives prior to the execution of this Agreement with respect to each Employee Plan, accurate and complete copies of the following, as relevant: (i) all plan documents and all amendments thereto, and all related trust, insurance or other funding documents, and all amendments thereto; (ii) the most recent determination letter or opinion letter received from the IRS; (iii) for the three most recent plan years, (A) the annual actuarial or other valuation reports, (B) the IRS Form 5500 and all schedules thereto and (C) audited financial statements; (iv) the most recent summary plan descriptions and any material modifications thereto; (v) the most recent nondiscrimination tests required to be performed under the Code; and (vi) any material non-routine communications with any Governmental Body regarding any Employee Plan.
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has at any time sponsored, maintained, contributed to, or been required to contribute to, or had any liability in respect of, (i) an “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA, Code Section 412 or Section 302 of ERISA, including any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA. No Employee Plan is a (i) a “multiple employer plan” as defined in Section 413(c) of the Code, or (ii) a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(e) Each Employee Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has obtained a favorable determination letter (or opinion letter, if applicable) as to its qualified status under the Code. Each Employee Plan is now and has been operated, maintained, and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and all applicable Legal Requirements, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code. No non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the code) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Employee Plan.
(f) Except to the extent required under Section 601 et seq. of ERISA or 4980B of the Code (or any other similar state or local Legal Requirement) at the participant’s sole expense, neither the Company nor any Employee Plan has any present or future obligation to provide post-employment welfare benefits to or make any payment to, or with respect to any Company Associate.
(g) Since January 1, 2019, all individuals who perform or have performed services for the Company have been properly classified under applicable law as (i) employees or independent contractors and (ii) for employees, as an “exempt” employee or a “non-exempt” employee (within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and applicable state laws), and no such individual has been improperly included or excluded from any Employee Plan, except for misclassifications, non-compliance or exclusions which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and the Company has not received notice of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened inquiry or audit from any Governmental Body concerning such classifications.
(h) The Company maintains no obligations to gross-up or reimburse any individual for any tax or related interest or penalties incurred by such individual under Sections 409A or 4999 of the Code.
(i) Each “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” maintained by the Company has been at all times in material documentary and operational compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A and the guidance provided thereunder.
(j) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not (i) result in any payment or benefit becoming due to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits to any current or former employee, contractor or director of the Company or under any Employee Plan, (iv) limit the right to modify, amend or terminate any Employee Plan (except any limitations imposed by applicable Legal Requirements, if any).
(k) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not result in the payment of any amount that could, individually or in combination with any other payment or benefit, constitute an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, result in the payment of an excise tax by any Person under Section 4999 of the Code or any amount that would not be deductible under Section 280G of the Code.
(l) With respect to any Employee Plan, (i) no Legal Proceeding (other than routine claims for benefits in the ordinary course) are pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Employee Plan, the assets of any of the trusts under such plans or the plan sponsor or administrator, or against any fiduciary of any Employee Plan with respect to the operation thereof, and (ii) no facts or circumstances exist that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such Legal Proceeding.
ERISA Liabilities The Borrower shall not, and shall cause each of its ERISA Affiliates not to, (i) permit the assets of any of their respective Plans to be less than the amount necessary to provide all accrued benefits under such Plans, or (ii) enter into any Multiemployer Plan.
Pension Plans Any of the following events shall occur with respect to any Pension Plan
(a) the institution of any steps by the Borrower, any member of its Controlled Group or any other Person to terminate a Pension Plan if, as a result of such termination, the Borrower or any such member could be required to make a contribution to such Pension Plan, or could reasonably expect to incur a liability or obligation to such Pension Plan, in excess of $10,000,000; or
(b) a contribution failure occurs with respect to any Pension Plan sufficient to give rise to a Lien under Section 302(f) of ERISA.
Events Relating to Plans and Benefit Arrangements Any of the following occurs: (i) any Reportable Event, which the Agent determines in good faith constitutes grounds for the termination of any Plan by the PBGC or the appointment of a trustee to administer or liquidate any Plan, shall have occurred and be continuing; (ii) proceedings shall have been instituted or other action taken to terminate any Plan, or a termination notice shall have been filed with respect to any Plan; (iii) a trustee shall be appointed to administer or liquidate any Plan; (iv) the PBGC shall give notice of its intent to institute proceedings to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer or liquidate any Plan; and, in the case of the occurrence of (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above, the Agent determines in good faith that the amount of the Borrower's liability is likely to exceed 10% of its Consolidated Tangible Net Worth; (v) the Borrower or any member of the ERISA Group shall fail to make any contributions when due to a Plan or a Multiemployer Plan; (vi) the Borrower or any other member of the ERISA Group shall make any amendment to a Plan with respect to which security is required under Section 307 of ERISA; (vii) the Borrower or any other member of the ERISA Group shall withdraw completely or partially from a Multiemployer Plan; (viii) the Borrower or any other member of the ERISA Group shall withdraw (or shall be deemed under Section 4062(e) of ERISA to withdraw) from a Multiple Employer Plan; or (ix) any applicable Law is adopted, changed or interpreted by any Official Body with respect to or otherwise affecting one or more Plans, Multiemployer Plans or Benefit Arrangements and, with respect to any of the events specified in (v), (vi), (vii), (viii) or (ix), the Agent determines in good faith that any such occurrence would be reasonably likely to materially and adversely affect the total enterprise represented by the Borrower and the other members of the ERISA Group;
Pension Benefits Each party reserves the right to retain as his or her sole and absolute separate property, the entire interest in pension benefits now vested, or that become vested in the future, and the right to manage, control, transfer, and convey all such property and dispose of the same by will, beneficiary designation or otherwise, without any interference from the other. The parties acknowledge that this Agreement shall constitute an effective waiver of any rights in the other's pension benefit plans. Furthermore, each party agrees to execute whatever additional waiver document may be necessary or useful to confirm such waiver of rights to the other party's pension benefit plans.
Benefit Limit In the event that any payments or benefits to which Employee becomes entitled in accordance with the provisions of this Agreement (or any other agreement with the Company or any other corporation or entity that directly or indirectly controls, is controlled by, or is under common control with the Company) would otherwise constitute a parachute payment under Code Section 280G(b)(2), then such payments and/or benefits will be subject to reduction to the extent necessary to assure that Employee receives only the greater of (i) the amount of those payments which would not constitute such a parachute payment or (ii) the amount which yields Employee the greatest after-tax amount of benefits after taking into account any excise tax imposed under Code Section 4999 on the payments and benefits provided Employee under this Agreement (or on any other payments or benefits to which Employee may become entitled in connection with any change in control or ownership of the Company or the subsequent termination of his employment with the Company). The benefit limits of this paragraph shall be calculated as of the date on which the event triggering any parachute payment is effected, and such calculation shall be completed within thirty (30) days after such effective date. Should the completed calculations require a reduction in benefits in order to satisfy the benefit limit of this paragraph, then the portion of any parachute payment otherwise payable in cash to Employee shall be reduced to the extent necessary to comply with such benefit limit, with each such cash payment to be reduced pro-rata but without any change in the payment dates, and with the cash severance payments detailed herein to be the first and then the benefit payments to be the next such payments so reduced. Should such benefit limit still be exceeded following such reduction, then the number of shares which would otherwise vest on an accelerated basis under each of Employee’s outstanding equity awards shall be reduced to the extent necessary to eliminate such excess, with such reduction to be applied to such equity awards in the same chronological order in which those awards were made.
Canadian Pension Plans The Loan Parties shall not (a) contribute to or assume an obligation to contribute to any Canadian Defined Benefit Plan, without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent, or (b) acquire an interest in any Person if such Person sponsors, administers, maintains or contributes to or has any liability in respect of any Canadian Defined Benefit Plan, or at any time in the five-year period preceding such acquisition has sponsored, administered, maintained, or contributed to a Canadian Defined Benefit Plan, without the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent.
