PRIVILEGED AND
CONFIDENTIAL
Exhibit 10(d)
EXECUTIVE
SEVERANCE/NON-COMPETE AGREEMENT
In this Executive
Severance/Non-Compete Agreement dated as of ___, 2005 (the “
Agreement ”), Sears Holdings Corporation and its
affiliates and subsidiaries (“Sears”), and ___(“
Executive ”), intending to be legally bound and for
good and valuable consideration, agree as follows:
1. Severance
Benefits .
(a)
Continuation of Compensation . In the event that
(x) Executive’s employment is terminated by any Sears
entity by which he is employed (the “Company”) for any
reason other than Cause (as defined below), death or Disability (as
defined below) or (y) Executive’s employment is
terminated by Executive for Good Reason (as defined below), subject
to the provisions of Sections 6(e) and (f) and 10 herein, the
Company shall pay to Executive his annual base salary as in effect
immediately prior to the date of termination for a period of one
(1) year. The amount described in Section 1(a) shall be paid
in 12 equal annual installments commencing on the date of
termination (the “ Salary Continuation Period ”)
except that no payment will be made to Executive prior to the first
date that such payment can be made without imposition of tax under
Section 409A of the Internal Revenue Code. In addition to the
foregoing, a lump sum payment will be made to Executive within ten
(10) days following the date of termination in an amount equal
to the sum of any accrued base salary through the date of
termination to the extent not theretofore paid and any vacation
benefits that accrued prior to the date of termination. No vacation
will accrue after the date active employment ends. All salary
continuation payments and benefits will terminate and forever lapse
if Executive is employed by a “ Sears Competitor
” as defined in Section 6(b) herein.
(b)
Continuation of Benefits . During the Salary Continuation
Period, Executive will be entitled to all benefits (other than as
specified above) for which Executive was eligible to participate
prior to the end of active employment, with the exception of
Long-Term Disability and Flexible Spending Accounts. Executive and
eligible dependents shall be entitled to continue to participate in
the Company’s medical and dental plans in accordance with the
Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985
(“COBRA”).The cost of such COBRA coverage for Executive
and his dependents will be subsidized by the Company, so that the
Executive will be paying the same premium for medical and dental
plan coverage during the Salary Continuation Period as an active
employee. However, in the event Executive becomes employed by
another employer and is covered by such employer’s health
benefits plan or program, the medical and dental benefits provided
by the Company hereunder shall be secondary to such
employer’s health benefits plan or program in accordance with
the terms of the Company’s health benefit plans.
(c)
Long-Term Performance Program . The Long Term Performance
Incentive Program grant for any multi-year performance period will
be treated at termination of active employment in accordance with
the provisions of its respective program document or grant
letter.
(d)
Outplacement . From the date of termination pursuant to the
first sentence of Section 1(a), Executive will be immediately
eligible for outplacement services at the
Company’s expense.
The Company and Executive will mutually agree on which outplacement
firm, among current vendors used by the Company, will provide these
services. Such services will be provided for up to one
(1) year from the beginning of the Salary Continuation Period
or until employment is obtained, whichever occurs first.
2. Definitions .
For purposes of this Agreement, the following terms shall have the
definitions as set forth below:
(a) “
Cause ” shall mean (1) a material breach by
Executive (other than a breach resulting from Executive’s
incapacity due to a mental or physical disability) of
Executive’s duties and responsibilities which breach is
demonstrably willful and deliberate on Executive’s part, is
committed in bad faith or without reasonable belief that such
breach is in the best interests of Sears and is not remedied in a
reasonable period of time after receipt of written notice from
Sears specifying such breach, (2) the commission by Executive
of a felony involving moral turpitude, or (3) dishonesty or
willful misconduct in connection with Executive’s employment;
and
(b) “
Disability ” shall mean disability as defined under
the long-term disability plan of Sears applicable to Executive.
(c) “
Good Reason ” shall mean, without Executive’s
written consent, (i) a reduction of more than 10% in the sum
of Executive’s annual base salary and target bonus from those
in effect as of the date of this Agreement,
(ii) Executive’s mandatory relocation to an office more
than 50 miles from the primary location at which Executive is
required to perform Executive’s duties immediately prior to
the date of this Agreement or (iii) failure of a successor
company to assume or fulfill the obligations under this
Agreement.
3.
Non-Disparagement . Executive will not take any actions
detrimental to the interests of Sears, nor make derogatory
statements, either written or oral to any third party, or otherwise
publicly disparage Sears, its products, services, or present or
former employees, officers or directors, and will not authorize
others to make derogatory or disparaging statements on
Executive’s behalf.
4. Intellectual
Property Rights . Executive acknowledges that Executive’s
development, work or research on any and all inventions or
expressions of ideas, patentable or not, hereafter made or
conceived solely or jointly within the scope of employment at
Sears, provided such invention or expression of an idea relates to
the business of Sears, or relates to Sears actual or demonstrably
anticipated research or development, or results from any work
performed by Executive for or on behalf of Sears, are hereby
assigned to Sears, including Executive’s entire rights, title
and interest. Executive will promptly disclose such invention or
expression of an idea to Executive’s management and will,
upon request, promptly execute a specific written assignment of
title to Sears. If Executive currently holds any inventions or
expressions of an idea, regardless of whether they were published
or filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, or is under
contract to not so assign, Executive will list them on the last
page of this Agreement.
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5. Confidentiality
. Executive agrees that the existence and terms of the Agreement,
including the compensation paid to Executive, and discussions with
Sears regarding this Agreement, shall be considered confidential
and shall not be disclosed or communicated in any manner except:
(a) as required by law or legal process; (b) to
Executive’s spouse, domestic partner, or financial/legal
advisors, all of whom shall agree to keep such information
confidential.
6. Protective
Covenants . Executive acknowledges that this Agreement provides
for additional consideration beyond what Sears is otherwise
obligated to pay. In consideration of the opportunity for severance
benefits and special payments specified above, and other good and
valuable consideration, Executive agrees to the following:
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(a) |
Non-Disclosure and Non-Solicitation . Executive
acknowledges that Executive has previously or has simultaneously
executed and will continue to be bound by an Executive
Non-Disclosure and Non-Solicitation of Employees Agreement, which
agreement sets forth, among other things, the definition of Sears
Confidential Information and is incorporated by reference
herein. |
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(b) |
Non-Competition . Executive acknowledges that as a
result of Executive’s position at Sears, Executive has
learned or developed, or will learn or develop, Sears Confidential
Information and that use or disclosure of such Confidential
Information is likely to occur if Executive were to render advice
or services to any Sears Competitor. |
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i. |
Therefore, for one (1) year from Executive’s last
day of active employment, whether or not Executive receives
severance benefits pursuant to Section 1 hereto
(“Severance Pay”), Executive will not, directly or
indirectly, aid, assist, participate in, consult with, render
services for, accept a position with, become employed by, or
otherwise enter into any relationship with (other than having a
passive ownership interest in or being a customer of) any Sears
Competitor. |
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ii. |
For purposes of this Agreement, “ Sears Competitor
” means |
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1. |
Those companies listed on Appendix A, each of which
Executive acknowledges is a Sears Competitor, whether or not it
falls within the categories in (2), below, and further acknowledges
that this is not an exclusive list of Sears Competitors and is not
intended to limit the generality of subsection 6(b)(ii)(2), below,
and |
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2. |
Any party (A) engaged in any retail business (whether in a
department store, specialty store, discount store, direct
marketing, or electronic commerce or other business format), that
consists of selling furniture, appliances, |
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electronics, hardware, auto parts and/or apparel products, or
providing home impr |
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