Probation for Newly Hired Employees (a) The Employer may reject a probationary employee for just cause. A rejection during probation shall not be considered a dismissal for the purpose of Article 11.2
EMPLOYEE WORK YEAR 9.1 The work year shall be as follows:
RESTRICTIONS ON EMPLOYMENT OF FORMER STATE OFFICER OR EMPLOYEE The Engineer shall not hire a former state officer or employee of a state agency who, during the period of state service or employment, participated on behalf of the state agency in this agreement’s procurement or its negotiation until after the second anniversary of the date of the officer’s or employee’s service or employment with the state agency ceased.
Employee Workload The Employer shall ensure that an employee’s workload is not unsafe as a result of employee absence(s). Employees may refer safety related workload concerns to the Occupational Health and Safety Committee for investigation under Article 22.3 (Occupational Health and Safety Committee).
Benefits While on Leave An employee will continue to receive her/his salary and benefits while on paid leave under this Article. An employee on unpaid leave may arrange to pay the costs required to maintain benefit coverage in accordance with the local provisions of the collective agreement.
Standard Company Benefits Executive shall be entitled to participate in all employee benefit programs for which Executive is eligible under the terms and conditions of the benefit plans that may be in effect from time to time and provided by the Company to its employees. The Company reserves the right to cancel or change the benefit plans or programs it offers to its employees at any time.
Employee and Labor Matters; Benefit Plans (a) Except as set forth in Part 3.15(a) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, the employment of each of the Parent Entities’ employees is terminable by the applicable Parent Entity at will. None of the Parent Entities is a party to, or has a duty to bargain for, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor organization or works council representing any of its employees and there are no labor organizations or works councils representing, purporting to represent or, to the Knowledge of Parent, seeking to represent any employees of any of the Parent Entities.
(b) There is no claim or grievance pending or, to the Knowledge of Parent, threatened relating to any employment Contract, wages and hours, leave of absence, plant closing notification, employment statute or regulation, work rule (together with all policies and supplements related thereto), privacy right, labor dispute, safety, retaliation, immigration or discrimination matters involving any Parent Associate, including charges of unfair labor practices or harassment complaints.
(c) Parent has delivered or made available to the Company an accurate and complete list, by country and as of the date hereof, of: (i) each Parent Employee Plan; (ii) each Parent Employee Agreement; and (iii) all work rules (together with all policies and supplements related thereto) and employee manuals and handbooks relating to employees of any Parent Entity.
(d) Each of the Parent Entities and Parent Affiliates has performed in all material respects all obligations required to be performed by it under each Parent Employee Plan, and each Parent Employee Plan has been established and maintained in all material respects in accordance with its terms and applicable Legal Requirements. Each Parent Employee Plan intended to be Tax qualified under applicable Legal Requirements is so Tax qualified, and no event has occurred and no circumstance or condition exists that could reasonably be expected to result in the disqualification of any such Parent Employee Plan.
(e) None of the Parent Entities, and no Parent Affiliate, has ever maintained, established, sponsored, participated in or contributed to any: (i) Parent Pension Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA; (ii) “multiemployer plan” within the meaning of Section (3)(37) of ERISA; or (iii) plan described in Section 413 of the Code. None of the Parent Entities, and no Parent Affiliate, maintains, sponsors or contributes to any Parent Employee Plan that is an employee welfare benefit plan (as such term is defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA) and that is, in whole or in part, self-funded or self-insured.
(f) Neither the execution of this Agreement nor the consummation of the Contemplated Transactions will or could reasonably be expected to (either alone or upon the occurrence of termination of employment) constitute an event under any Parent Employee Plan, Parent Employee Agreement, trust or loan that will or may result (either alone or in connection with any other circumstance or event) in any payment (whether of severance pay or otherwise), acceleration, forgiveness of indebtedness, vesting, distribution, increase in benefits or obligation to fund benefits with respect to any Parent Associate.
(g) Except as set forth in Part 3.15(g) of the Parent Disclosure Schedule, each of the Parent Entities and Parent Affiliates: (i) is, and at all times has been, in compliance in all material respects with any Order or arbitration award of any court, arbitrator or any Governmental Body respecting employment, employment practices, terms and conditions of employment, wages, hours or other labor related matters; (ii) has withheld and reported all amounts required by applicable Legal Requirements or by Contract to be withheld and reported with respect to wages, salaries and other payments to Parent Associates; (iii) is not liable for any arrears of wages or any Taxes with respect thereto or any interest or penalty for failure to comply with the Legal Requirements applicable of the foregoing; and (iv) is not liable for any payment to any trust or other fund governed by or maintained by or on behalf of any Governmental Body with respect to unemployment compensation benefits, social security, social charges or other benefits or obligations for Parent Associates (other than routine payments to be made in the normal course of business and consistent with past practice).
(h) There is no agreement, plan, arrangement or other Contract covering any Parent Associate, and no payments have been made to any Parent Associate, that, in connection with the Merger, considered individually or considered collectively with any other such Contracts or payments, will, or could reasonably be expected to, be characterized as a “parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G(b)(2) of the Code or give rise directly or indirectly to the payment of any amount that would not be deductible pursuant to Section 162(m) of the Code (or any comparable provision under state or foreign Tax laws). No Parent Entity is a party to or has any obligation under any Contract to compensate any Person for excise Taxes payable pursuant to Section 4999 of the Code or for additional Taxes payable pursuant to Section 409A of the Code.
Employees; Benefit Plans (a) During the period commencing at the Effective Time and ending on the date which is FIVE (“5”) months from the Effective Time (or if earlier, the date of the employee's termination of employment with Parent and its Subsidiaries), Parent shall cause the Surviving Corporation and each of its Subsidiaries, as applicable, to provide the employees of the Company and its Subsidiaries who remain employed immediately after the Effective Time (collectively, the "Company Continuing Employees") with base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits that are, in the aggregate, no less favorable than the base salary, target bonus opportunities (excluding equity-based compensation), and employee benefits provided by the Company and its Subsidiaries on the date of this Agreement.
(b) With respect to any "employee benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries, excluding both any retiree healthcare plans or programs maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries and any equity compensation arrangements maintained by Parent or any of its Subsidiaries (collectively, "Parent Benefit Plans") in which any Company Continuing Employees will participate effective as of the Effective Time, Parent shall, or shall cause the Surviving Corporation to, recognize all service of the Company Continuing Employees with the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, as the case may be as if such service were with Parent, for vesting and eligibility purposes (but not for (i) purposes of early retirement subsidies under any Parent Benefit Plan that is a defined benefit pension plan or (ii) benefit accrual purposes, except for vacation, if applicable) in any Parent Benefit Plan in which such Company Continuing Employees may be eligible to participate after the Effective Time; (iii) Continuing Company shall honor all consulting or advisory agreement previously entered into, or employment pending equity awards stock options or warrants to purchase equity based upon performance. provided, that such service shall not be recognized to the extent that (A) such recognition would result in a duplication of benefits or (B) such service was not recognized under the corresponding Company Employee Plan.
(c) This Section 5.07 shall be binding upon and inure solely to the benefit of each of the parties to this Agreement, and nothing in this Section 5.07, express or implied, shall confer upon any other Person any rights or remedies of any nature whatsoever under or by reason of this Section 5.07. Nothing contained herein, express or implied (i) shall be construed to establish, amend or modify any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement or (ii) shall alter or limit the ability of the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Affiliates to amend, modify or terminate any benefit plan, program, agreement or arrangement at any time assumed, established, sponsored or maintained by any of them. The parties hereto acknowledge and agree that the terms set forth in this Section 5.07 shall not create any right in any Company Employee or any other Person to any continued employment with the Surviving Corporation, Parent or any of their respective Subsidiaries or compensation or benefits of any nature or kind whatsoever.
(d) With respect to matters described in this Section 5.07, the Company will not send any written notices or other written communication materials to Company Employees without the prior written consent of Parent.
Compensation; Employment Agreements; Etc Enter into or amend or renew any employment, consulting, severance or similar agreements or arrangements with any director, officer or employee of Metropolitan or its Subsidiaries, or grant any salary or wage increase or increase any employee benefit (including incentive or bonus payments), except (i) for normal individual increases in compensation to employees in the ordinary course of business consistent with past practice, (ii) for other changes that are required by applicable law, and (iii) to satisfy Previously Disclosed contractual obligations existing as of the date hereof.
Employee Safety
A. All incidents of workplace violence, unsafe equipment or job conditions shall be brought to the attention of the immediate supervisor, or in their absence, the next higher level of supervision. Should the unsafe condition not be corrected within a reasonable time, the equipment or job practice shall be brought to the attention of the Safety Committee. Additionally, employees shall report any exposure to known or suspected carcinogens in writing on a separate form. A copy of the form shall be sent to the Local Safety Committee. Employees have the right to file complaints with the State Department of Labor and Industry OSHA Division.
B. Any protective equipment or clothing, e.g., safety glasses or other types of eye protection (including prescription lenses and frames when required), safety helmets, safety vests, welding gloves and aprons, safety shoes, ear protection, protective gloves, etc., shall be provided and maintained by the Appointing Authority whenever such equipment is required as a condition of employment either by the Appointing Authority, by OSHA, or by the Federal Mine Safety and Health Administration. The employee shall have the responsibility to use all such provided protective equipment (see Article 20, Section 11).
C. All employees who are injured or who are involved in an accident during the course of their employment shall file a first report of injury and/or an accident report, on forms furnished by the Appointing Authority, no matter how slight the incident. A summary of the first report of injury and/or accident report shall be furnished to the Safety Committee. All such injuries shall be reported to the employee's immediate supervisor and any necessary medical attention, including transportation if required, shall be arranged. The Appointing Authority shall provide assistance to employees in filling out all necessary Workers' Compensation forms, when requested.
D. Any medical examination required by the Appointing Authority shall be at no cost to the employee and the Appointing Authority shall receive a copy of the medical report. Upon request, the employee shall receive a copy of the medical report.
E. During every four (4) hour period in which an employee spends all their time on a computer, the employee will be given a five (5) minute alternative work assignment or if this is not practicable, a five (5) minute rest period scheduled to interrupt continuous operation of the machine. This five (5) minute rest period is in addition to the formal rest period provided in Article 5, is not cumulative, and cannot be used at the beginning or end of a shift, formal rest breaks, or a lunch period.
F. Any pregnant employee assigned to work with Department of Corrections' inmates, may request reassignment to alternate work within her seniority unit. The Appointing Authority will attempt to accommodate such a request. Such reassignment shall not be subject to the provisions of Article 12, Section 4. In the event that such reassignment is not practicable, the employee shall have the right to request an unpaid leave of absence, pursuant to Article 10, Section 0X.
