Retention Bonus (a) Subject to Sections 2(b), 2(c) and 2(d) below and your continued employment through the Determination Date (as defined below), you will be eligible to receive a Retention Bonus equal to the annual bonus you would have been eligible to receive under the Company’s Annual Incentive Plan based on the Company’s actual performance for 2023, as determined by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Committee”) following the completion of 2023, had you been a participant in the Annual Incentive Plan with a target bonus opportunity of up to 40% of your base salary (such amount as determined by the Committee, the “Retention Bonus”), which determination shall occur between January 1, 2024 and March 15, 2024 (the date of such determination, the “Determination Date”). The Retention Bonus, if any, will be paid in cash in a lump sum between January 1, 2025 and March 15, 2025. You will continue to be considered an employee of the Company for purposes of this letter agreement if you are on a Company- approved leave of absence.
(b) In the event of a Change in Control during 2024, subject to your continued employment through the earlier of: (1) the Determination Date; or (2) the date of the Change in Control, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the date of the Change in Control.
(c) In the event of your Involuntary Termination (as defined in the Employment Agreement) on or after the Determination Date but on or prior to the date you have received the Retention Bonus, you will be eligible to receive your Retention Bonus in cash in a lump sum within 10 days following the effective date of your Release (as defined below). As a condition to your receipt of the Retention Bonus pursuant to this Section 2(c), you shall execute and not revoke a general release of all claims in favor of the Company and its affiliates (the “Release”) in the form attached to the Employment Agreement as Exhibit A. In the event the Release does not become effective within the 55-day period following the date of your Involuntary Termination, you shall not be entitled to the Retention Bonus.
(d) If your employment terminates prior to the Determination Date for any reason, then this letter agreement will terminate, and you will forfeit any right you may have to receive the Retention Bonus.
Payment of Severance Subject to Section 7.13, any severance payments pursuant to Section 5.4(a) hereof shall be paid commencing on the sixtieth (60th) day following the Termination Date (with a lump sum catch-up payment for any installments otherwise payable within sixty (60) days following the Termination Date) and in accordance with the Company’s standard payroll schedule and practices.
Timing of Severance Payments Any severance payment to which Employee is entitled under Sections 3(a)(i)(1), 3(a)(i)(2) and 3(a)(i)(5) shall be paid by the Company to the Employee (or to the Employee's successors in interest pursuant to Section 7(b)) in cash and in full, not later than thirty (30) calendar days following the Termination Date, subject to any delay required under Section 9.
Severance Payment If, during the Employment Term at any time during the period of twelve (12) consecutive months following the occurrence of a Change in Corporate Control, the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, then subject to compliance with the restrictive covenants in Section 9 and Section 10 and the execution and timely return by the Executive of the Release, the Executive shall be entitled to receive a lump sum severance payment equal to the present value of a series of monthly payments for twenty-four (24) months, each in an amount equal to one-twelfth (1/12th) of the sum of (i) the Executive’s Base Salary, as in effect at the time of the Change in Corporate Control, and (ii) the average of the annual bonuses paid to the Executive for the prior two fiscal years of the Company ending prior to the Change in Corporate Control, if any. Such present value shall be calculated using a discount rate equal to the interest rate on 90-day Treasury bills, as reported in the Wall Street Journal (or similar publication) on the date of the Change in Corporate Control. Such lump sum payment shall be made to the Executive within sixty (60) days following the date of such involuntary termination. In addition, if during the Employment Term within twelve (12) months after a Change in Corporate Control the Executive is involuntarily terminated (other than for Cause) or the Executive terminates his employment for Good Reason, he shall be entitled to continued coverage at the Company’s expense under any health insurance programs maintained by the Company in which the Executive participated at the time of his termination, which coverage shall be continued for eighteen (18) months or until, if earlier, the date the Executive obtains comparable coverage under a group health plan maintained by a new employer. To the extent the benefits provided under the immediately preceding sentence are otherwise taxable to the Executive, such benefits, for purposes of Section 409A of the Code (and the regulations and other guidance issued thereunder) shall be provided as separate monthly in-kind payments of those benefits, and to the extent those benefits are subject to and not otherwise excepted from Section 409A of the Code, the provision of the in-kind benefits during one calendar year shall not affect the in-kind benefits to be provided in any other calendar year.
Lump Sum Severance Payment Payment of a lump sum amount equal to twelve (12) months of Executive’s then-current Base Salary plus the Pro Rated Bonus, less all customary and required taxes and employment-related deductions, paid on the first payroll date following the date on which the Release required by Paragraph 4(g) becomes effective and non-revocable, but not after seventy (70) days following the effective date of termination from employment.
Conditions to Receipt of Severance Benefits The receipt of the Severance Benefits will be subject to you signing and not revoking a separation agreement and release of claims in a form reasonably satisfactory to the Company (the “Separation Agreement”) by no later than the sixtieth (60th) day after your employment termination (“Release Deadline”). No Severance Benefits will be paid or provided until the Separation Agreement becomes effective. You shall also resign from all positions and terminate any relationships as an employee, advisor, officer or director with the Company and any of its affiliates, each effective on the date of termination.
Severance Payments 5.1 The Company shall pay the Executive the payments described in this Section 5.1 ("Severance Payments") upon the termination of the Executive's employment following a Change in Control during the term of this Agreement, including the Executive's termination of employment for Good Reason, unless such termination is (a) by the Company for Cause, or (b) by reason of the Executive's Death or Disability. The Executive's employment shall be deemed to have been terminated following a Change in Control by the Company without Cause if the Executive's employment is terminated prior to a Change in Control without Cause at the direction (or action which constitutes a direction) of a Person who has entered into an agreement with the Company the consummation of which will constitute a Change in Control.
(i) Within three (3) business days after the Date of Termination, the Company shall make a lump sum or monthly, at the Executive's option, cash severance payment to the Executive in an amount equal to: (x) the Executive's annual base salary in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the event or circumstance upon which the Notice of Termination is based or in effect immediately prior to the Change in Control; and (y) a pro-rated portion of Executive's Targeted Annual Bonus for the fiscal year in which the Date of Termination occurs.
(ii) For a twelve (12) month period after the Date of Termination, the Company shall arrange to provide the Executive with medical and dental insurance benefits substantially similar to those that the Executive is receiving immediately prior to the Notice of Termination. Benefits otherwise receivable by the Executive pursuant to this Section 5.1(ii) shall be reduced to the extent comparable benefits are actually received by or made available to the Executive without cost during the twelve (12) month period following the Executive's termination of employment (and any such benefits actually received by the Executive shall be reported to the Company by the Executive).
5.2 The Company also shall pay to the Executive all legal fees and expenses incurred by the Executive in disputing the non-payment of Severance Payments in connection with a termination which entitles the Executive to Severance Payments. Such payments shall be made within five (5) business days after delivery of the Executive's written request for payment accompanied with such evidence of fees and expenses incurred as the Company reasonably may require.
Compensation Other Than Severance Payments 4.1 If the Executive’s employment shall be terminated for any reason following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay the Executive’s full salary to the Executive through the Date of Termination at the rate in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination or, if Section 18(n)(ii) is applicable as an event or circumstance constituting Good Reason, the rate in effect immediately prior to such event or circumstance, together with all compensation and benefits payable to the Executive through the Date of Termination under the terms of the Company’s compensation and benefit plans, programs or arrangements as in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination (or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in effect immediately prior to the first occurrence of an event or circumstance constituting Good Reason). In addition, if the Executive’s employment is terminated for any reason following a Change in Control other than (a) by the Company for Cause and (b) by the Executive without Good Reason, then the Company shall pay a pro-rata portion of the Executive’s annual bonus for the performance year in which such termination occurs to the Executive on the later of (x) the date that annual bonuses are generally paid to other senior executives and (y) the date that is the first business day after the date that is six months after the Date of Termination. This pro-rata bonus shall be determined by multiplying the amount the Executive would have received based upon actual financial performance through such termination, as reasonably determined by the Company, by a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of days during such performance year that the Executive is employed by the Company and the denominator of which is 365.
4.2 If the Executive’s employment shall be terminated for any reason following a Change in Control, the Company shall pay to the Executive the Executive’s normal post-termination compensation and benefits as such payments become due. Such post-termination compensation and benefits shall be determined under, and paid in accordance with, the Company’s retirement, insurance and other compensation or benefit plans, programs and arrangements as in effect immediately prior to the Date of Termination or, if more favorable to the Executive, as in effect immediately prior to the occurrence of the first event or circumstance constituting Good Reason.
Retention Bonuses Provided Executive becomes and remains an active employee of Mercantile, Mercantile will pay Executive retention bonuses in accordance with the following schedule:
(i) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following the Effective Time,
(ii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following six (6) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile,
(iii) $42,750.00 [25% of salary and target incentive compensation], to be paid on the first payroll period following twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile. After twelve (12) months of Executive’s employment with Mercantile, Executive will not be entitled to any further Severance or Retention benefits. The above-listed payments and benefits are in lieu of any and all payments and benefits to which Executive may otherwise have been entitled under the CIC Agreement or any other agreement or practice.
Transition to Retirement 24.1 An Employee may advise their Employer in writing of their intention to retire within the next five years and participate in a retirement transition arrangement.
24.2 Transition to retirement arrangements may be proposed and, where agreed, implemented as:
(a) a flexible working arrangement (see clause 16 (Flexible Working Arrangements));
(b) in writing between the parties; or
(c) any combination of the above.
24.3 A transition to retirement arrangement may include but is not limited to:
(a) a reduction in their EFT;
(b) a job share arrangement; or
(c) working in a position at a lower classification or rate of pay.
24.4 The Employer will consider, and not unreasonably refuse, a request by an Employee who wishes to transition to retirement:
(a) to use accrued Long Service Leave (LSL) or Annual Leave for the purpose of reducing the number of days worked per week while retaining their previous employment status; or
(b) to be appointed to a role which that has a lower hourly rate of pay or hours (post transition role), in which case:
(i) the Employer will preserve the accrual of LSL at the time of reduction in salary or hours; and
(ii) where LSL is taken or paid out in lieu on termination, the Employee will be paid LSL hours at the applicable classification and grade, and at the preserved hours, prior to the post transition role until the preserved LSL hours are exhausted.
