EXHIBIT
10.3
EMPLOYMENT
AGREEMENT
THIS
EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT ("Agreement") is made and entered into effective
as of the 12th day of October, 2006, by and between Heidi J. Fisher
("Executive") and SUN HEALTHCARE GROUP, INC. ,
a Delaware corporation
("Sun" or
“Company”).
WHEREAS,
Executive has been appointed to serve as the Senior Vice President
of Human Resources of Sun;
WHEREAS, Sun Health Specialty Services, Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of Sun, and Executive entered into an
Employment Agreement dated February 11, 2002 (the “Existing
Agreement”); and
WHEREAS, Sun and Executive desire to terminate
the Existing Agreement and enter into a new employment agreement,
which shall set forth the terms and conditions (including the terms
and conditions of Executive’s bonus eligibility, as approved
by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors of Sun on
March 28, 2006) of Executive’s employment as Senior Vice
President of Human Resources of Sun and Executive is willing to
perform such services for Sun under the terms and conditions set
forth below.
NOW, THEREFORE,
in consideration of the above recitals and the mutual covenants and
agreements contained herein, Executive and Sun agree as
follows:
Section
1: Employment; Term of
Employment.
(a)
Employment. Sun agrees to employ Executive
and Executive agrees to accept employment with Sun, subject to the
terms and conditions of this Agreement.
(b)
Term of Employment. The period of
Executive’s employment under this Agreement shall begin as of
October 1, 2006 and shall continue until terminated in accordance
with Section 5 below. As used in this Agreement, the phrase
“Employment Term” refers to Executive’s period of
employment from the date of this Agreement until the date her
employment is terminated.
Section 2: Duties
and Responsibilities. Executive shall devote her full employment time,
efforts, skills and attention exclusively to her duties as Senior
Vice President of Human Resources; provided, however, that to the
extent the following activities do not materially interfere or
conflict with her duties and responsibilities hereunder, Executive
may (i) serve as a member of the boards of directors of other
companies with the prior written consent of the Chief Executive
Officer of Sun; and (ii) engage in charitable, civic and religious
affairs.
Section
3: Compensation, Benefits and Related
Matters.
(a) Annual Base
Salary. During the Employment Term, Sun shall pay to
Executive a base salary at an annual rate of $239,875.17
("Base Salary"), such salary to be payable in accordance with
Sun’s customary payroll practices as in effect from time to
time (but not less frequently than monthly). The annual Base
Salary will be reviewed at least annually for possible merit
increases and any increase in Executive’s annual base
salary rate shall thereafter constitute "Base Salary" for purposes
of this Agreement.
(b)
Cash Bonus/Incentive Compensation. In
addition to the Base Salary provided for in Section 3(a)
above, Executive shall be eligible to receive an annual bonus
(“Bonus”) in accordance with Schedule A hereto, as it
may be amended from time to time by the Compensation Committee of
the Board of Directors; provided, however, that no amendment shall
be effective if it reduces the potential amount of the Bonus, when
compared to the prior year, unless such amendment has been agreed
to in writing by Executive. Such Bonus shall be payable at the same
time as annual bonuses are paid to senior executives of Sun.
Subject to the provisions of Section 6, in order to have earned and
to be paid any such Bonus, Executive must be employed by Sun on the
date of such payment. It is intended that the Bonus described in
this Section 3(b) qualify as "performance based compensation" under
Section 162(m) of the Code to the extent necessary to preserve the
Company’s ability to deduct such bonus.
(c)
Equity Incentive. During the Employment
Term, Executive shall be eligible to be granted equity incentive
awards during her employment on the same basis as other senior
executive officers of Sun. Such equity incentive awards may include
stock options and restricted units. Executive’s eligibility,
rights and entitlement to such equity incentive awards shall be
governed by the applicable equity incentive plan, award agreement,
award and/or grant.
(d) Retirement and
Benefit Plans. During the Employment Term, Executive
shall be eligible to participate in or receive benefits under any
pension plan, 401(k) savings plan, nonqualified deferred
compensation plan, supplemental executive retirement plan, medical
and dental benefits plan, life insurance plan, short-term and
long-term disability plans, or any other employee benefit or fringe
benefit plan, generally made available by Sun to senior executives
in accordance with the eligibility requirements of such plans and
subject to the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement.
Such plans, programs and arrangements are subject to change during
employment at the sole discretion of the Company.
(e)
Sick, Holiday and Vacation Pay. Executive
is entitled to holiday and sick pay consistent with Sun’s
Employee Handbook or other policy applicable to senior executives.
Sick and Holiday Pay is subject to change during employment at the
sole discretion of the Company. Executive shall be entitled to up
to 160 hours of vacation per year, which shall accrue at the rate
of 6.152 hours per pay period (26 pay periods). However, in
accordance with Sun’s Employee Handbook or other policy
applicable to senior executives, vacation hours shall be subject to
an accrual cap of two times Executive’s annual allotment of
vacation hours and shall be subject to change during employment at
the sole discretion of the Company.
(f)
Indemnification, Liability/Insurance.
Executive shall be entitled to indemnification by Sun to the extent
required by applicable law and the charter and bylaws of Sun. In
addition, Sun shall maintain during Executive’s employment
customary directors and officers’ liability insurance and
Executive shall be covered by such insurance.
(g)
Taxes. All compensation payable to
Executive shall be subject to withholding for all applicable
federal, state and local income taxes, occupational taxes, Social
Security and similar mandatory withholdings.
(h)
Expenses. Executive shall be
entitled to reimbursement for expenses incurred by her in
connection with the discharge of her duties hereunder. All such
expense reimbursement shall be subject to and shall be submitted,
documented and paid in accordance with the expense reimbursement
policies of Sun, as such policies may change from time to
time.
Section
4: Cooperation.
Following the expiration or a
termination of this Agreement for any reason, Executive shall
provide such cooperation as is reasonably required by the Company,
including, without limitation, consulting with the Company with
respect to litigation and/or matters that relate to facts and
circumstances that occurred during the Employment Term, and
executing such documents and instruments relating to such
employment as are reasonably requested by Sun.
Section
5: Termination of
Employment. Sun,
at any time in its sole discretion, may terminate Executive as
Senior Vice President of Human Resources and from all other
positions with Sun and its direct and indirect subsidiaries. Upon
termination, Executive (or her beneficiary or estate as the case
may be) shall be entitled to receive the compensation and benefits
described in Section 6 below.
(a) Termination by
Sun for "Good Cause." Sun may, at any time, by written
notice to Executive at least five (5) business days prior to the
date of termination specified in such notice and specifying the
acts or omissions believed to constitute Good Cause (as defined
below), terminate Executive as an officer and employee and from all
other positions with Sun for Good Cause. Sun may relieve Executive
of her duties and responsibilities pending a final determination of
whether Good Cause exists, and such action shall not constitute
Good Reason (as defined in Section 5(c) below) for purposes of this
Agreement. Payment to Executive upon a termination for Good Cause
is set forth in Section 6(a). "Good Cause" for termination shall
mean any one of the following:
(1) Any criminal conviction
(including conviction on a nolo contendere plea) under the laws of
the United States or any state or other political subdivision
thereof which, in the sole discretion of the Chief Executive
Officer of Sun, renders Executive unsuitable as an officer or
employee of Sun.
(2) Executive’s continued
failure to substantially perform the duties reasonably requested by
the Chief Executive Officer of Sun and commensurate with her
position as Senior Vice President of Human Resources of Sun (other
than any such failure resulting from her incapacity due to her
physical or mental condition) after a written demand for
substantial performance is delivered to her by the Chief Executive
Officer of Sun, which demand specifically identifies the manner in
which the Chief Executive Officer of Sun believes that Executive
has not substantially performed her duties, and which performance,
in the sole discretion of the Chief Executive Officer is determined
to not be substantially corrected by Executive within ten (10)
calendar days of receipt of such demand;
(3) Any material workplace
misconduct or willful failure to comply with Sun’s general
policies and procedures as they may exist from time to time by
Executive which, in the sole discretion of the Chief Executive
Officer of Sun, renders Executive unsuitable as an officer or
employee; and
(4) Breach of
any of the covenants set forth in Section 8 of this
Agreement.
Regardless of
whether Executive’s employment initially was considered to be
terminated for any reason other than Good Cause, Executive’s
employment will be considered to have been terminated for Good
Cause for purposes of this Agreement if the Chief Executive Officer
of Sun subsequently determines that Executive engaged in an act
constituting Good Cause.
(b) Termination by
Sun without Good Cause. Sun may at any time in its
sole discretion, by written notice to Executive at least five (5)
business days prior to date of termination specified in such
notice, terminate Executive as an officer and employee and from all
other positions with Sun. If such termination is made by Sun other
than by reason of Executive’s death or Disability (as defined
in Section 5(e)) and Good Cause does not exist, such termination
shall be treated as a termination without Good Cause and Executive
shall be entitled to payment in accordance with Section
6(b).
(c) Termination by
Executive for Good Reason. Executive may, at any time
at her option within sixty (60) calendar days following an event or
condition that constitutes Good Reason (as defined below), resign
for Good Reason, as an officer and employee and from all other
positions with Sun by written notice to Sun at least thirty (30)
calendar days prior to the date of termination specified in such
notice; provided, however, that Sun has not substantially corrected
the event or condition that would constitute Good Reason prior to
the date of termination. Payment to Executive upon a termination
for Good Reason is set forth in Section 6(b). "Good Reason"
shall mean the occurrence of any one of the following events or
conditions (but only if Executive provides a notice of resignation
to Sun within sixty (60) calendar days following the first
occurrence of such event or condition and Sun thereafter fails to
cure such circumstance within sixty (60) calendar days after its
receipt of that notice):
a. A meaningful and detrimental
reduction, without Executive’s written consent, in the nature
of her responsibilities or a meaningful and detrimental change in
her reporting responsibilities or titles; or
b. A reduction of compensation
as set forth in Sections 3(a) - 3(c) (collectively the
"Compensation") (other than a reduction of compensation uniformly
applicable to other members of Senior Management or as a result of
disciplinary action against Executive), a reduction of the benefits
set forth in Sections 3(d) - 3(h) (collectively, the "Benefits")
(other than a reduction of Benefits uniformly applicable to other
senior executives), or failure by Sun to pay to Executive any
portion of the Compensation or Benefits within seven (7) business
days of the date such compensation or other payments and benefits
are due; or
c. A change in
Executive’s principal work location to a place other than
Orange County, California.
.Notwithstanding any provision of this Section
5(c) to the contrary, the occurrence of a “Change in
Control” (as defined in Section 6 below) shall not, by
itself, constitute Good Reason hereunder.
(d) Voluntary
Resignation Without Good Reason. Executive may, at any
time at her option with thirty (30) calendar days written notice to
Sun, voluntarily resign without Good Reason as an officer and
employee and from all positions with Sun. Payment to Executive upon
her voluntary resignation without Good Reason is set forth in
Section 6(a). Resignation from employment shall automatically
constitute resignation from all positions of any subsidiary or
affiliated corporation.
(e) Death or
Disability. Executive’s employment under this
Agreement shall terminate automatically as of the date of
Executive’s death. Sun, at any time by written notice to
Executive at least five (5) business days prior to the date of
termination specified in such notice, terminate Executive as an
officer and employee and from all other positions with Sun by
reason of her Disability. "Disability" shall mean any physical or
mental condition or illness that prevents Executive from performing
the essential duties of her position (where such failure cannot be
remedied with reasonable accommodation) for a period of 120
substantially consecutive calendar days, as determined by a
physician selected by Sun and reasonably acceptable to Executive
or, if Executive is incapacitated, reasonably acceptable to the
Director of Medicine or equivalent senior physician at a hospital
of Executive’s choice. In addition, Executive’s receipt
of disability benefits under Sun’s long-term disability
benefits plan or receipt of Social Security disability benefits
shall be deemed conclusive evidence of Disability for purpose of
this Agreement. Payment to Executive upon her termination by reason
of her death or Disability is set forth in Section 6(d).
Section 6: Payments Upon
Termination.
(a) Payment Upon
Termination for Good Cause, or Resignation without Good
Reason. In the event of termination of her employment
pursuant to Sections 5(a) or 5(d), Executive, or her estate where
applicable, shall be paid any earned but unpaid Base Salary through
the date of termination and any accrued but unused vacation through
the date of termination.
Executive also
shall receive her vested benefits in accordance with the terms of
Sun’s compensation and benefit plans, and her participation
in such plans and all other perquisites shall cease as of the date
of termination, except to the extent Executive may elect to
continue coverage as under any welfare benefit plans as required by
Part 6, Title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of
1974, as amended. Upon a termination under Section 5(a) or 5(d),
Executive shall not be entitled to any compensation or benefits
under this Agreement except as set forth in this Section
6(a).
(b) Payment Upon
Termination by Sun without Good Cause or by Executive for Good
Reason. In the event of termination of employment
pursuant to Sections 5(b) or 5(c), Executive shall be entitled to a
lump sum severance payment in an amount equal to one (1) year Base
Salary or, in the event such termination occurs on or within two
(2) years following the change of a “Change in
Control,” two (2) years Base Salary. Executive also shall be
entitled to (i) any earned Bonus pursuant to Section 3(b) for the
fiscal year prior to the fiscal year of termination in the event
Executive was employed the entire prior fiscal year but is not
employed by Sun on the date said Bonus is paid, (ii) a pro rata
portion of the Bonus for the fiscal year of termination, based on
the number of days of employment during the fiscal year of
termination (including holidays, vacation and sick days and
weekends during the period of employment) divided by 365 and
(iii) payment of any accrued but unused
vacation pursuant to Section 3(e) in accordance with Company
policy. Notwithstanding the foregoing, Executive’s right to
receive the severance payment hereunder shall be conditioned upon
her execution of a release in favor of Sun, which shall not be
inconsistent with the te