Employee Benefits Matters (a) From and after the Effective Time, each of the Surviving Corporation and its Subsidiaries shall honor all of its respective compensation and benefits plans, programs, agreements and arrangements of the Company and its Subsidiaries in accordance with their terms as in effect immediately prior to the Effective Time, provided that nothing in this sentence shall prohibit the Surviving Corporation or its Subsidiaries from amending or terminating any such plans, programs, agreements and arrangements in accordance with their terms. The Surviving Corporation shall, for the six-month period immediately following the Effective Time, provide each retained employee of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of the Effective Time (each, a “Retained Employee”), other than any Retained Employee whose employment is subject to a collective bargaining or other labor agreement, with compensation and employee benefits, excluding equity, equity-based and similar compensation, that are comparable in the aggregate to those provided by the Company and its Subsidiaries (other than with respect to change of control payments or other payments resulting from the Offer or the Merger) to such Retained Employees immediately prior to the Effective Time. Nothing herein shall be deemed to be a guarantee of employment for any employee or prohibit or restrict the right of the Surviving Corporation to (i) make changes to salaries, employee benefits and incentive compensation pursuant to negotiations in connection with a collective bargaining agreement or (ii) amend and/or eliminate any benefit program, subject to compliance with the first sentence of this Section 6.7(a).
(b) The Retained Employees shall receive credit for service with the Company and its Subsidiaries for all purposes (including for purposes of eligibility to participate, vesting, benefit accrual and eligibility to receive benefits, but excluding benefit accruals under any defined benefit pension plan) under any compensation or employee benefit plan, program or arrangement established or maintained by Parent (to the extent an Retained Employee is brought under any such plan), the Surviving Corporation or any of their respective Affiliates under which each Retained Employee may be eligible to participate on or after the Effective Time to the same extent recognized by the Company or any of the Company’s Subsidiaries under comparable benefit plans immediately prior to the Effective Time; provided, however, that such crediting of service shall not operate to duplicate any benefit or the funding of any such benefit.
(c) To the extent that, after the Effective Time, the Surviving Corporation changes the welfare benefit plans, programs and arrangements in which Retained Employees participate, Parent shall (i) waive, or use its reasonable best efforts to cause its insurance carrier to waive, all limitations as to preexisting and at-work conditions, if any, with respect to participation and coverage requirements applicable to each Retained Employee to the same extent waived under a comparable benefit plan and (ii) with respect to the plan year in which the change was made, provide a credit to each Retained Employee for any co-payments, deductibles and out-of-pocket expenses paid by such Retained Employee under the benefit plans during the relevant plan year, up to and including the Effective Time.
(d) During the period from the date hereof to the Acceptance Date, the Company shall not, and shall not permit any of its Subsidiaries to, without Parent’s prior written consent, make any payment or contribution to the Employee Benefit Plans except in accordance with past practices in the ordinary course.
(e) The parties agree that the provisions of this Section 6.7 may be modified without the consent of any employee (it being understood and agreed that the employees to whom this Section 6.7 applies shall not be third party beneficiaries of this Section 6.7).
Employee Benefits and Perquisites During the Employment Term, the Executive will be entitled to (i) participate in all employee benefit plans, programs, arrangements or policies that are from time to time made available by the Company generally to its senior executives, including, without limitation, the Company’s life insurance, long-term disability, and health plans (“Employee Benefits”); and (ii) the perquisites and other fringe benefits that are from time to time made available by the Company generally to its senior executives and to such perquisites and fringe benefits that are from time to time made available by the Company to the Executive in particular, subject to any applicable terms and conditions of any specific perquisite or other fringe benefit; provided, however, that nothing contained herein shall be deemed to require the Company to adopt, maintain or provide any particular plan, program, arrangement, policy, perquisite or fringe benefit. The Executive shall be required to comply with the conditions attendant to coverage by such plans and shall comply with and be entitled to benefits only in accordance with the terms and conditions of such plans as they may be amended from time to time. The Executive agrees to cooperate and participate in any medical or physical examinations as may be required in connection with the applications for such life and/or disability insurance policies.
Retirement and Welfare Benefits During the Term, the Executive shall be eligible to participate in the Company’s health, life insurance, long-term disability, retirement and welfare benefit plans, and programs available to similarly-situated employees of the Company, pursuant to their respective terms and conditions. Nothing in this Agreement shall preclude the Company or any Affiliate (as defined below) of the Company from terminating or amending any employee benefit plan or program from time to time after the Effective Date.
Employee Benefits Plans Schedule 7.14 hereto identifies as of the date hereof each ERISA Plan sponsored or maintained by a Company or BRJ Seller. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect: (a) no ERISA Event has occurred or is expected to occur with respect to an ERISA Plan; (b) payment has been made of all amounts which a Controlled Group member is required, under applicable law or under the governing documents, to have been paid as a contribution to or a benefit under each ERISA Plan; (c) the liability of each Controlled Group member with respect to each ERISA Plan has been fully funded based upon reasonable and proper actuarial assumptions, has been fully insured, or has been fully reserved for on its financial statements to the extent required by GAAP; and (d) to our knowledge, no changes have occurred or are expected to occur that would cause an increase in the cost of providing benefits under any ERISA Plan. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, with respect to each ERISA Plan that is intended to be qualified under Code Section 401(a): (i) there has been no non-compliance by the ERISA Plan and any associated trust with the applicable requirements of Code Section 401(a), (ii) the ERISA Plan and any associated trust have been amended to comply with all such requirements as currently in effect, other than those requirements for which a retroactive amendment can be made within the “remedial amendment period” available under Code Section 401(b) (as extended under Treasury Regulations and other Treasury pronouncements upon which taxpayers may rely), (iii) the ERISA Plan and any associated trust have received a favorable determination letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the ERISA Plan qualifies under Code Section 401(a), that the associated trust qualifies under Code Section 501(a) and, if applicable, that any cash or deferred arrangement under the ERISA Plan qualifies under Code Section 401(k), unless the ERISA Plan was first adopted at a time for which the above-described “remedial amendment period” has not yet expired, (iv) the ERISA Plan currently satisfies the requirements of Code Section 410(b), without regard to any retroactive amendment that may be made within the above-described “remedial amendment period”, and (v) no contribution made to the ERISA Plan is subject to an excise tax under Code Section 4972. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, with respect to any Pension Plan, the “accumulated benefit obligation” of Controlled Group members with respect to the Pension Plan (as determined in accordance with Statement of Accounting Standards No. 87, “Employers’ Accounting for Pensions”) does not exceed the fair market value of Pension Plan assets. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, no Controlled Group Member has or has had in the past, an obligation to contribute to a Multiemployer Plan.
Employee Benefits and Contracts (a) For a period of one year following the Effective Time, except as contemplated by this Agreement, any Buyer Entity shall provide generally to employees who are actively employed by a Seller Entity on the Closing Date (“Covered Employees”) while employed by such Buyer Entity following the Closing Date employee benefits under Buyer Benefit Plans, on terms and conditions which are, in the aggregate, substantially comparable to those provided by Buyer Entities to their similarly situated employees; provided, that in no event shall any Covered Employee be eligible to participate in any closed or frozen plan of any Buyer Entity. Until such time as Buyer shall cause the Covered Employees to participate in the applicable Buyer Benefit Plans, the continued participation of the Covered Employees in the Seller Benefit Plans shall be deemed to satisfy the foregoing provisions of this clause (it being understood that participation in Buyer Benefit Plans may commence at different times with respect to each of Buyer Benefit Plans). For purposes of determining eligibility to participate and vesting under Buyer Benefit Plans, and for purposes of determining a Covered Employee’s entitlement to paid time off under the applicable Buyer Entity’s paid time off program, the service of the Covered Employees with a Seller Entity prior to the Effective Time shall be treated as service with a Buyer Entity participating in such Buyer Benefit Plans, to the same extent that such service was formally recognized by the Seller Entities for purposes of a similar benefit plan; provided, that such recognition of service shall not (i) operate to duplicate any benefits of a Covered Employee with respect to the same period of service or (ii) apply for purposes of any plan, program or arrangement (x) under which similarly-situated employees of Buyer Entities do not receive credit for prior service, (y) that is grandfathered or frozen, either with respect to level of benefits or participation, or (z) for purposes of retiree medical benefits or level of benefits under a defined benefit pension plan.
(b) Prior to the Closing Date, the Seller Entities shall take all necessary action (including without limitation the adoption of resolutions and plan amendments and the delivery of any required notices) to terminate, effective as of no later than the day before the Closing Date, any Seller Benefit Plan that is intended to constitute a tax-qualified defined contribution plan under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(k) (a “401(k) Plan”). Seller shall provide Buyer with a copy of the resolutions, plan amendments, notices and other documents prepared to effectuate the termination of the 401(k) Plans in advance and give Buyer a reasonable opportunity to comment on such documents (which comments shall be considered in good faith), and prior to the Closing Date, Seller shall provide Buyer with the final documentation evidencing that the 401(k) Plans have been terminated.
(c) Upon request by Buyer in writing prior to the Closing Date, the Seller Entities shall cooperate in good faith with Buyer prior to the Closing Date to amend, freeze, terminate or modify any other Seller Benefit Plan to the extent and in the manner determined by Buyer effective upon the Closing Date (or at such different time mutually agreed to by the Parties) and consistent with applicable Law. Seller shall provide Buyer with a copy of the resolutions, plan amendments, notices and other documents prepared to effectuate the actions contemplated by this Section 7.8(c), as applicable, and give Seller a reasonable opportunity to comment on such documents (which comments shall be considered in good faith), and prior to the Closing Date, Seller shall provide Buyer with the final documentation evidencing that the actions contemplated herein have been effectuated.
(d) Without limiting the generality of Section 10.4, nothing in this Section 7.8, expressed or implied, is intended to confer upon any Person (other than the Parties or their respective successors), including any current or former employee, officer, director or consultant of Seller or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement. In no event shall the terms of this Agreement: (i) establish, amend, or modify any Seller Benefit Plan or any “employee benefit plan” as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA, or any other benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement maintained or sponsored by Buyer, Seller or any of their respective Affiliates; (ii) alter or limit the ability of the Surviving Corporation, Buyer or any of their Subsidiaries or Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any Seller Benefit Plan, employment agreement or any other benefit or employment plan, program, agreement or arrangement after the Closing Date; or (iii) confer upon any current or former employee, officer, director or consultant of Seller or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates, any right to employment or continued employment or continued service with Buyer or any Buyer Subsidiaries, the Surviving Corporation or the Seller Entities, or constitute or create an employment agreement with any employee, or interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Surviving Corporation, Seller, Buyer or any Subsidiary or Affiliate thereof to discharge or terminate the services of any employee, officer, director or consultant of Seller or any of its Subsidiaries or Affiliates at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without cause.
(e) On the Closing Date, Seller shall provide Buyer with a list of employees who have suffered an “employment loss” (as defined in the WARN Act) in the 90 days preceding the Closing Date or had a reduction in hours of a least 50% in the 180 days preceding the Closing Date, each identified by date of employment loss or reduction in hours, employing entity and facility location.
Health and Welfare Benefits applies to full-time nurses only)
Retiree Benefits Employees retiring on or after January 1, 2006 will be eligible for retiree benefits as presented to the Union Negotiation Committee during discussions for renewal of the Collective Agreements that expired December 31, 2002.
Welfare Benefits Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, for a period of six (6) months following the date of the Involuntary Termination (and an additional twelve (12) months if the Executive provides consulting services under Section 14(f) hereof), the Executive and his dependents shall be provided with group medical benefits which are substantially similar to those provided from time to time to similarly situated active employees of the Company (and their eligible dependents) (“Medical Continuation Benefits”). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, such Medical Continuation Benefits shall be provided on substantially the same terms and conditions and at the same cost to the Executive as apply to similarly situated active employees of the Company. Such benefits shall be provided in a manner that complies with Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(a)(5). Notwithstanding the foregoing, if Sempra Energy determines in its sole discretion that the Medical Continuation Benefits cannot be provided without potentially violating applicable law (including, without limitation, Section 2716 of the Public Health Service Act) or that the provision of Medical Continuation Benefits under this Agreement would subject Sempra Energy or any of its Affiliates to a material tax or penalty, (i) the Executive shall be provided, in lieu thereof, with a taxable monthly payment in an amount equal to the monthly premium that the Executive would be required to pay to continue the Executive’s and his covered dependents’ group medical benefit coverages under COBRA as then in effect (which amount shall be based on the premiums for the first month of COBRA coverage) or (ii) Sempra Energy shall have the authority to amend the Agreement to the limited extent reasonably necessary to avoid such violation of law or tax or penalty and shall use all reasonable efforts to provide the Executive with a comparable benefit that does not violate applicable law or subject Sempra Energy or any of its Affiliates to such tax or penalty.
Employee Benefit Plans and Related Matters; ERISA (a) Section 3.20(a) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth as of the date of this Agreement a true and complete list of the Company Benefit Plans, including all Company Benefit Plans subject to ERISA or similar provisions of non-U.S. Law. With respect to each such Company Benefit Plan, the Company has made available to Parent a true and complete copy of such Company Benefit Plan, if written, or a description of the material terms of such Company Benefit Plan if not written, and to the extent applicable, (i) all trust agreements, insurance contracts or other funding arrangements, (ii) the most recent actuarial and trust reports for both ERISA funding and financial statement purposes, (iii) the most recent Form 5500 with all attachments required to have been filed with the IRS or the Department of Labor or any similar reports filed with any comparable Governmental Entity in any non-U.S. jurisdiction having jurisdiction over any Company Benefit Plan and all schedules thereto, (iv) the most recent IRS determination or opinion letter, and (v) all current summary plan descriptions.
(b) Each Company Benefit Plan intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code, and the trust (if any) forming a part thereof, has received a favorable determination letter from the IRS that the Company Benefit Plan is so qualified, or an advisory or opinion letter that the form of such plan document satisfies the requirements to be so qualified, and, to the knowledge of the Company, there are no existing circumstances or any events that would reasonably be expected to adversely affect the qualified status of any such plan. Each Company Benefit Plan has been administered and operated in all material respects in accordance with its terms and with applicable Law.
(c) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any of their ERISA Affiliates contributes to, sponsors or maintains or has in the past sponsored, maintained, contributed to or had any liability in respect of any pension plan subject to Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 or Title IV of ERISA.
(d) There are no claims pending or threatened in writing with respect to any of the Company Benefit Plans by any employee or otherwise involving any such plan or the assets of any such plan (other than routine claims for benefits), except as would not, individually or in the aggregate, be material.
(e) No Company Benefit Plan is a “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA or is a “multiple employer plan” within the meaning of Section 4063 or 4064 of ERISA. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has at any time during the last six (6) years contributed to or been obligated to contribute to any such type of plan.
(f) Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries has any material liability in respect of post-retirement health, medical or life insurance benefits for retired, former or current employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries except as required by Law.
(g) Except as set forth in Section 3.20(g) of the Company Disclosure Schedule, the consummation of the transactions to which the Company is a party contemplated hereby, will not, either alone or in combination with another event, (i) entitle any current or former director, officer or employee of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries to severance pay, unemployment compensation or any other payment, (ii) result in any payment becoming due, accelerate the time of payment or vesting, or increase the amount of compensation due to any such director, officer or employee, (iii) result in any forgiveness of indebtedness, trigger any funding obligation under any Company Benefit Plan or impose any restrictions or limitations on the Company’s rights to administer, amend or terminate any Company Benefit Plan or (iv) result in any payment (whether in cash or property or the vesting of property) to any “disqualified individual” (as such term is defined in Treasury Regulation Section 1.280G-1) that would reasonably be construed, individually or in combination with any other such payment, to constitute an “excess parachute payment” (as defined in Section 280G(b)(1) of the Code).
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.
