Effect of Absence Where any leave of absence without pay exceeds thirty (30) continuous calendar days, the following shall apply:
Limitation on Benefits (a) It is the intention of the Executive and of the Employers that no payments by the Employers to or for the benefit of the Executive under this Agreement and/or any other agreement or plan pursuant to which the Executive is entitled to receive payments or benefits shall be non-deductible to the Employers by reason of the operation of Section 280G of the Code relating to parachute payments. Accordingly, and notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement or any such agreement or plan, if by reason of the operation of said Section 280G, any such payments exceed the amount which can be deducted by the Employers in the aggregate, such payments shall be reduced to the maximum amount which can be deducted by the Employers. To the extent that payments exceeding such maximum deductible amount have been made to or for the benefit of the Executive, such excess payments shall be refunded to the Employers with interest thereon at the applicable Federal Rate determined under Section 1274(d) of the Code, compounded annually, or at such other rate as may be required in order that no such payments shall be non-deductible to the Employers by reason of the operation of said Section 280G. To the extent that there is more than one method of reducing the payments to bring them within the limitations of said Section 280G, the Executive shall determine which method shall be followed, provided that if the Executive fails to make such determination within forty-five days after the Employers have sent him written notice of the need for such reduction, the Employers may determine the method of such reduction in their sole discretion.
