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.
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.
Severance Pay Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 62 (Severance Pay) of this Agreement, where the period of continuous employment in respect of which severance benefit is to be paid consists of both full and part-time employment or varying levels of part-time employment, the benefit shall be calculated as follows: the period of continuous employment eligible for severance pay shall be established and the part-time portions shall be consolidated to equivalent full-time. The equivalent full-time period in years shall be multiplied by the full-time weekly pay rate for the appropriate group and level to produce the severance pay benefit.
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.
Severance Benefit (a) If the employment of the Employee with the Company is terminated by the Company for any reason other than Cause (as defined below) or if the Employee terminates his or her employment with the Company for Good Reason (as defined below), the Company shall pay the Employee, from the date of termination, in addition to any payments to which the Employee is entitled under the Company’s severance pay plan, twelve (12) months of base salary at the Employee’s annual base salary level in effect at the time of such termination or immediately prior to the salary reduction that serves as the basis for termination for Good Reason. Employee will also be entitled to payment of an amount of cash equal to $20,000. The aggregate base salary and other cash amount payable shall be paid by the Company to the Employee in one lump sum on the first day following the six (6) month anniversary of the date of the Employee’s termination. For purposes of this Agreement, the term “termination” when used in the context of a condition to, or timing of, payment hereunder shall be interpreted to mean a “separation from service” as that term is used in Section 409A of the Code.
(b) Employee will also be entitled to twelve (12) months of health benefits continuation if terminated under circumstances described in subpart (a) above. To the extent any such benefits cannot be provided to the Employee on a non-taxable basis and the provision thereof would cause any part of the benefits to be subject to additional taxes and interest under Section 409A of the Code, then the provision of such benefits shall be deferred to the earliest date upon which such benefits can be provided without being subject to such additional taxes and interest.
(c) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, “Cause” shall include:
i. the conviction of a felony, a crime of moral turpitude or fraud or having committed fraud, misappropriation or embezzlement in connection with the performance of his duties hereunder,
ii. willful and repeated failures to substantially perform his assigned duties; or
iii. a violation of any provision of this Agreement or express significant policies of the Company.
(d) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, termination for “Good Reason” shall mean termination of employment by the Employee within ninety (90) days after:
Severance Benefits In addition, if a Change in Control Severance Payment Event (as defined below) occurs, then the Company shall pay to Employee the Accrued Payments, and contingent upon Employee satisfying the Severance Conditions, the Company shall also provide Employee the following payments and other benefits (the “Change in Control Severance Package”):
(i) Payment of an amount equal to 2.0 times the sum of (i) Employee’s annual rate of Base Salary as of the Termination Date or as of the date of the Change in Control, whichever is greater, plus (ii) Employee’s Target STI Payment, calculated based on Employee’s Base Salary as of the Termination Date or, if greater, as of the date of the Change in Control, payable to Employee on the 30th day following the Termination Date in a lump sum payment; plus
(ii) Payment of a Pro-Rata Bonus for the calendar year of termination, payable as soon as administratively feasible following preparation of the Company’s audited financial statements for the applicable calendar year, but in no event later than March 31 (or earlier than January 1) of the calendar year following the calendar year to which such STI Payment relates; and
(iii) The Company shall pay or reimburse on a monthly basis the premiums required to continue Employee’s group health care coverage for a period of eighteen (18) months following Employee’s Termination Date, under the applicable provisions of COBRA, provided that Employee or his dependents, as applicable, elect to continue and remain eligible for these benefits under COBRA. If necessary to avoid inclusion in taxable income by Employee of the value of in-kind benefits, such health care continuation premiums shall be provided in the form of taxable payments to Employee, which payments shall be made without regard to whether Employee elects to continue and remain eligible for such benefits under COBRA, and in which event Company shall pay to Employee, with each monthly reimbursement, an additional amount of cash equal to A/(1-R)-A, where A is the amount of the reimbursement for the month, and R is the sum of the maximum federal individual income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income and the maximum individual Colorado income tax rate then applicable to ordinary income;
(iv) Provided, however, that the sum of (i) and (ii) above shall be reduced, but not below zero, by the sum of any actually benefits provided to Employee pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), or (iii) and any payments otherwise required pursuant to Section 5(a)(i), (ii), and (iii) shall not be made. Nothing in this Section 6 shall relieve the Company or any successor-in-interest thereof of its obligation to continue, following any Change in Control, to provide Employee with the compensation due pursuant to Section 3 of this Agreement or to otherwise comply with its obligations hereunder in the event Employee’s service continues pursuant to this Agreement following the occurrence of such Change in Control.
Severance Payments and Benefits (a) If a Change in Control occurs and within a period of twenty-four (24) months thereafter, Executive incurs a Separation from Service on account of (i) an involuntary termination by the Company for reasons other than death, Disability or Cause, or (ii) a voluntary termination elected by the Executive for Good Reason, then subject to (A) Executive signing and not revoking a separation and general release agreement (the “Release”) in a form provided by the Company as may be in use from time to time, and (B) Section 4 below, Executive shall (and the Company (or any successor thereto) shall pay, award and/or provide):
(1) receive a lump-sum cash severance payment in an amount equal to the sum of (a) two times (2x) Executive’s Annual Compensation; (b) the product of (x) Executive’s Long-term Incentive Award Value, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service (provided, however, that such numerator shall not exceed six (6)) and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and (c) the product of (x) the greater of (A) Executive’s target annual bonus amount for the year in which the Separation from Service occurs, or (B) the highest annual bonus paid to the Executive out of the three (3) prior bonuses paid to the Executive prior to the Executive’s Separation from Service, multiplied by (y) a fraction, the numerator of which is the number of full and partial calendar months between January 1 of the year of Separation from Service and the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service and the denominator of which is twelve (12); and
(2) receive eighteen (18) months of continued coverage under the Company’s group health plans (based on the level of the Executive’s coverage in effect on the date of the Executive’s Separation from Service), at the Company’s expense, subject to the Executive’s timely election of continuation coverage under the COBRA, it being understood that (a) in the event that the Executive becomes eligible to receive substantially similar or improved medical, dental or vision benefits from a subsequent employer (whether or not the Executive accepts such benefits), the Company’s obligations under this Section 3(a)(2) shall immediately cease, (b) the Executive will notify the Company of his eligibility for such benefits from a subsequent employer within thirty (30) days of such eligibility and (c) in the event that the Company’s making payments under this Section 3(a)(2) would violate nondiscrimination rules or result in the imposition of penalties under the PPACA, the parties agree to reform this Section 3(a)(2) in such manner as is necessary to comply with tax laws and the PPACA, as applicable.
(3) become fully vested in all Company equity and long-term incentive awards granted to Executive (including, but not limited to, and all stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, and all other stock and cash-based long-term incentive awards) to the extent that such vesting is based on service with the Company. With respect to any performance shares and performance unit awards, (a) the final number of units and/or shares payable under such awards shall only be determined in accordance with the terms and conditions of the respective grant agreement governing such award, and accordingly, (b) distribution of such awards can only take place following such share and/or unit amount determination. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the full and immediate vesting of any restricted stock units, performance shares, performance units, shall not change the payment date thereof or otherwise apply to the extent it would result in adverse tax consequences under Section 409A of the Code; and
(4) notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the respective award agreement(s), be entitled to exercise any stock options or stock appreciation rights until the expiration of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right; provided, however, that, if any stock option or stock appreciation right is terminated or cashed-out in connection with a Change in Control, the Executive shall receive a lump-sum cash payment equal to the time value (i.e., under the Black Scholes option pricing model) of such stock options or stock appreciation rights inclusive of the economic value for the period of twenty-four (24) months following Executive’s Separation from Service (or until such later date as may be applicable under the terms of the award agreement governing the stock option or stock appreciation right upon termination of employment), subject to the maximum full term of the stock option or stock appreciation right.
(b) If Executive is not a Specified Employee, all payments made to Executive under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made on the sixtieth (60th) calendar day following Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that Executive’s Release must be effective and not revocable on the date payment is to be made in order to receive such payments. If Executive is a Specified Employee, to the extent required to comply with Section 409A of the Code, payments made under Section 3(a) immediately above shall be made within ten (10) calendar days following the date following the first (1st) day of the seventh (7th) month after the date of Executive’s Separation from Service, provided that no such payment shall be made to Executive if the Release has not become effective as of the six (6)-month anniversary of the date of Executive’s Separation from Service.
Right to Severance Benefits The Executive shall be entitled to receive from the Company Severance Benefits, as described in Section 3.3 herein, if there has been a Change in Control of the Company and if, within twenty-four (24) calendar months following the Change in Control, a Qualifying Termination of the Executive has occurred. The Executive shall not be entitled to receive Severance Benefits if he/she is terminated for Cause, or if his/her employment with the Company ends due to death, Disability, or Retirement or due to a voluntary termination of employment by the Executive without Good Reason.
Separation Payment An ASF Member shall be compensated at the final rate of pay for all unused, accumulated vacation, leave time upon separation from state service, or movement to a vacation ineligible position. An employee on an unpaid leave of absence of more than one (1) year for a purpose other than accepting an unclassified position in state civil service, or an employee on layoff that results in separation from service, may elect to be compensated at the final rate of pay for unused accumulated vacation leave. This accumulated vacation payout shall not exceed two hundred and seventy-five (275) hours, except in the case of the ASF Member's death. Calculation of an ASF Member's hourly rate for purposes of computing vacation separation payment shall be based upon a base of two thousand eighty-eight (2,088) working hours per year. Appointment periods of less than one
(1) year in duration shall be prorated on this basis. Except as provided in Article 16, Section C, Subdivision 4 which pertains to the separation payment to retirees, the separation payment will be made in cash.
Severance Amount If the Company is required to pay Executive severance by the express terms of Section 7(a) or 7(b), the Company shall pay Executive the following as severance:
(1) Executive's Base Salary at the highest rate in effect prior to the Termination Date as salary continuation for a period of eighteen months commencing on the date on which Executive's employment with the Company is terminated (the "TERMINATION DATE") (the "SEVERANCE PERIOD"), payable in equal monthly installments pursuant to the Company's customary payroll practices for executive salaries; provided, however, that, at the option of the Company, the amounts payable under this Section 7(c) may be paid by the Company in one lump sum.
(2) Executive, Executive's spouse, and Executive's dependents will continue to be eligible for coverage under the Company's group health plan or any successor plan on the same basis as active executive employees of the Company, their spouses, and their dependents for the duration of the Severance Period. If and when group health coverage under another employer's plan is made available to Executive, Executive's spouse, or Executive's dependents, the Company's obligations under this paragraph will cease with respect to each person to whom such coverage is made available, notwithstanding that such person may not in fact become covered under such other employer's plan. Executive's portion of the premium for such coverage shall be withheld from the salary continuation payments described in paragraph (1) immediately above or, if salary continuation has been paid in a lump sum, Executive shall reimburse the Company for Executive's portion of the premium on a monthly basis.
(3) An amount equal to the sum of amounts paid or payable to Executive as bonuses by the Company for the year prior to the year in which the Termination Date occurs. This amount will be payable in one lump sum, to Executive within 30 days after the end of the Severance Period.
(4) Executive shall become 100% vested in all of the shares of restricted stock granted to Executive under the Mariner Energy, Inc. Equity Participation Plan to the extent Executive is less than 100% vested in such shares as of the Termination Date.
(5) Executive shall become 50% vested in all of the rights and interests granted to Executive under the Company's stock and other equity plans (other than the Mariner Energy, Inc. Equity Participation Plan), including without limitation any stock options, restricted stock, restricted stock units, performance units, and/or performance shares to the extent Executive is less than 50% vested in such award as of the Termination Date.
(6) Notwithstanding any other provision hereof, if the Company incurs an obligation to pay severance under this Section 7(c) in connection with the termination of Executive's employment after the consummation of an initial public offering by the Company, then, subject to Section 7(h), Executive shall be entitled to receive the amounts specified in Section 8(a) in lieu of the amounts specified in Sections 7(c)(1) and 7(c)(3).
(7) Payments under this Section 7(c) shall be in lieu of any severance benefits otherwise due to Executive under any severance pay plan or program maintained by the Company that covers its employees or executives generally. If Executive receives payment under Section 8(a), payments otherwise payable under Section 7(c)(1) shall terminate.
