EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEE SEVERANCE
PLAN
As in effect as of
January 1, 2008
AMERIGAS PROPANE, INC.
EXECUTIVE EMPLOYEE
SEVERANCE PLAN
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Article I Purpose and Term of
Plan
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1
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2
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Article III Participation and Eligibility
for Benefits
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5
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6
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Article V Method and Duration of Benefit
Payments
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9
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Article VI Administration
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10
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Article VII Amendment and
Termination
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12
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Article VIII Duties of the
Company
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13
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Article IX Claims Procedures
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14
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16
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Appendix A Change in Control
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A-1
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i
Section 1.01 Purpose of the Plan .
This Executive Employee Severance Plan is applicable to Executive
Employees (as defined below) of AmeriGas Propane, Inc. and its
affiliates. The Plan is intended to help alleviate financial
hardships that may be experienced by Executive Employees whose
employment is involuntary terminated. The Plan is intended to be a
“severance pay plan” for purposes of ERISA (as defined
below). The benefits paid by the Plan are not deferred
compensation, and no employee shall have a vested right to such
benefits. The Plan has been drafted to give the Company (as defined
below) broad discretion in designating individuals who are eligible
for benefits and the amount of such benefits. All actions taken by
the Company shall be in its role as the plan sponsor and not as a
fiduciary.
Section 1.02 Term of the Plan . This
amendment and restatement is a continuation of the Company’s
existing Executive Employee Severance Pay Plan. The Plan will
continue until such time as the Company, acting in its sole
discretion, elects to modify, supersede or terminate it in
accordance with the further provisions hereof.
1
Section 2.01 “ Administrative
Committee ” shall mean the administrative committee
designated pursuant to Article VI of the Plan to administer
the Plan in accordance with its terms, or its delegate.
Section 2.02 “ Affiliate
” shall have the meaning ascribed to such term in
Rule 12b-2 of the General Rules and Regulations under the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Section 2.03 “ Annual
Compensation ” shall mean the Participant’s annual
base salary and applicable target annual bonus amount (if any) in
effect on the Participant’s Employment Termination
Date.
Section 2.04 “ Benefit ”
or “ Benefits ” shall mean any or all of the
benefits that a Participant is entitled to receive pursuant to
Article IV of the Plan.
Section 2.05 “ Board of
Directors ” shall mean the Board of Directors of the
Company, or any successor thereto.
Section 2.06 “ Change in
Control ” shall mean a change in control of the Company
or UGI Corporation as defined in the attached Appendix A, as
amended from time to time by the Committee, in its
discretion.
Section 2.07 “ Change in Control
Agreement ” shall mean a written Change in Control
Agreement between an employee and the Company or an
Affiliate.
Section 2.08 “ COBRA Cost
” shall mean the applicable premium under section 4980B(f)(4)
of the Code for continued medical and dental COBRA coverage under
the Company’s benefit plans.
Section 2.09 “ COBRA Coverage
” shall mean continued medical and dental coverage under the
Company’s benefit plans, as determined under section 4980B of
the Code.
Section 2.10 “ Code ”
shall mean the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended.
Section 2.11 “ Company ”
shall mean AmeriGas Propane, Inc. and any corporation succeeding to
the business of AmeriGas Propane, Inc. by merger, consolidation,
liquidation, purchase of assets or stock or similar
transaction.
Section 2.12 “ Compensation
Committee ” shall mean the Compensation/Pension Committee
of the Board of Directors.
Section 2.13 “ Employment
Commencement Date ” shall mean the most recent date on
which a Participant became an employee of the Company or an
Affiliate of the Company or, if the Company determines that service
before an acquisition shall be taken into account, the most recent
date on which a Participant became an employee of an entity whose
business or assets have been acquired by the Company or an
Affiliate.
2
Section 2.14 “ Employment
Termination Date ” shall mean the date on which the
Participant separates from service with the Company and its
Affiliates within the meaning of section 409A of the
Code.
Section 2.15 “ ERISA ”
shall mean the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as
amended.
Section 2.16 “ Executive Annual
Bonus Plan ” shall mean the Executive Annual Bonus Plan
of the Company as approved by the Board of Directors and in effect
from time to time.
Section 2.17 “ Executive
Employee ” shall mean any of the following employees who
are employed in the United States:
(a) An executive level employee of the
Company who participates in the Executive Annual Bonus Plan of the
Company and who does not have a Change in Control Agreement in
effect with the Company or an Affiliate; or
(b) An executive level employee of the
Company or an Affiliate who is employed in the United States and
who is designated in writing by the Compensation Committee as
eligible to participate in this Plan.
Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if an employee is employed by more than one company
within the UGI Corporation controlled group and if the Company is
not the employee’s primary employer, the employee shall not
be eligible to participate in this Plan, unless otherwise
designated in writing by the Compensation Committee. In no event
shall any of the following persons be considered an employee for
purposes of the Plan: (i) employees who are employed outside
the United States, (ii) independent contractors, (iii) persons
performing services pursuant to an arrangement with a third party
leasing organization or (iv) any person whom the Company
determines, in its sole discretion, is not a common law employee,
whether or not any such person is later determined to have been a
common law employee of the Company or an Affiliate.
Section 2.18 “ Executive Equity
Plan ” shall mean any long-term equity incentive plan of
the Company or any of its Affiliates, including without limitation
the UGI Corporation 2004 Omnibus Equity Compensation Plan and the
AmeriGas Propane, Inc. 2000 Long-Term Incentive Plan.
Section 2.19 “ Just Cause
” shall mean (i) dismissal of an Executive Employee due
to misappropriation of funds, (ii) substance abuse or habitual
insobriety that adversely affects the Executive Employee’s
ability to perform his or her job, (iii) conviction of a crime
involving moral turpitude, or (iv) gross negligence in the
performance of duties. Disputes with respect to whether Just Cause
exists shall be resolved in accordance with
Article IX.
Section 2.20 “ Key Employee
” shall mean an employee who, at any time during the 12-month
period ending on the identification date, is a “specified
employee” under section 409A of the Code, as determined by
the Compensation Committee or its delegate. The determination of
Key Employees, including the number and identity of persons
considered specified employees and the identification date, shall
be made by the Compensation Committee or its delegate in accordance
with the provisions of section 409A of the Code and the regulations
issued thereunder.
3
Section 2.21 “ Monthly
Compensation ” shall mean the Participant’s Annual
Compensation divided by 12.
Section 2.22 “ Paid Notice
” shall mean the cash amount payable to a Participant in lieu
of notice as determined pursuant to
Section 4.01(a).
Section 2.23 “ Participant
” shall mean any Executive Employee who receives Benefits
under the Plan.
Section 2.24 “ Plan ”
shall mean the AmeriGas Propane, Inc. Executive Employee Severance
Plan, as set forth herein, and as the same may from time to time be
amended.
Section 2.25 “ Plan Year
” shall mean each fiscal year of the Company during which
this Plan is in effect.
Section 2.26 “ Postponement
Period ” shall mean, for a Key Employee, the period of
six months after separation from service (or such other period as
may be required by section 409A of the Code), during which deferred
compensation may not be paid to the Key Employee under section 409A
of the Code.
Section 2.27 “ Release ”
shall mean a release and discharge of the Company, all of its
Affiliates, and all affiliated persons and entities from any and
all claims, demands and causes of action, other than as to amounts
or benefits due to the Participant under any qualified employee
retirement plan of the Company or an Affiliate, which shall be in
such form as may be proscribed by the Company, acting as an
employer and not as a fiduciary, from time to time and with such
modifications as the Company deems appropriate for the
Participant’s particular situation.
Section 2.28 “ Restricted
Awards ” shall mean restricted stock, stock units,
performance units, restricted units, dividend equivalents,
distribution equivalents and other equity-based awards, other than
stock options, that are granted to a Participant under an Executive
Equity Plan.
Section 2.29 “ Salary Continuation
Period ” shall mean (i) the number of months of Paid
Notice plus (ii) the period for which a Participant receives
Separation Pay under Section 4.01(b).
Section 2.30 “ Separation Pay
” shall mean the cash amount payable to a Participant as
determined pursuant to Section 4.01(b).
Section 2.31 “ Weekly
Compensation ” shall mean the Participant’s Annual
Compensation divided by 52.
Section 2.32 “ Year of Service
” shall mean each 12 month period (or part thereof) of
continuous service with the Company and its Affiliates beginning on
the Participant’s Employment Commencement Date and ending on
each anniversary thereof. Years of Service with an entity whose
business or assets have been acquired by the Company or an
Affiliate shall be counted only if so determined by the
Company.
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PARTICIPATION
AND ELIGIBILITY FOR BENEFITS
Section 3.01 General Eligibility
Requirement . In its sole discretion, acting in its role as
Plan sponsor and not as a fiduciary, the Company may grant a
Benefit under this Plan to any Executive Employee whose employment
is terminated by the Company or an Affiliate other than for Just
Cause, death, or continuous illness, injury or incapacity for a
period of six consecutive months. Notwithstanding anything herein
to the contrary, an Executive Employee will not be considered to
have incurred a termination by the Company or an Affiliate for
purposes of this Plan if his or her employment is discontinued due
to voluntary resignation or the expiration of a leave of absence.
In addition, the Executive Employee must meet the requirements of
Section 3.03 in order to receive a Benefit under this
Plan.
Section 3.02 Substantially Comparable
Employment . Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary,
no Benefits shall be due hereunder to an Executive Employee in
connection with the disposition of a business, division or
affiliated company by the Company or an Affiliate if substantially
comparable terms of employment, as determined by the Company, have
been offered to the Executive Employee by the transferee;
provided, however , that the Company, acting in its role as
Plan sponsor and not as a fiduciary, may determine that the Company
or an Affiliate will provide some or all of the Benefits to an
Executive Employee whose employment with the Company and its
Affiliates is terminated as described in Section 3.01. For
purposes of this Plan, “substantially comparable terms of
employment” shall mean an executive level position with
(i) no reduction in the Executive Employee’s annual base
salary as of the date of the transaction, and (ii) no material
change in the geographic location at which the Executive Employee
must perform services (which, for purposes of this Plan, means a
location that is not more than 50 miles from the Executive
Employee’s principal place of business immediately before the
transaction).
Section 3.03 Conditions to Entitlement
to Benefits .
(a) As further conditions to entitlement to
Benefits under the Plan, all Participants must, prior to the
payment of any Benefits due hereunder, (i) sign and not
rescind or contest the enforceability of a Release;
(ii) ratify any patent assignment, confidentiality,
non-solicitation, non-competition and other post-employment
activities agreement in effect between the Participant and the
Company or an Affiliate; (iii) return to the Company and its
Affiliates any and all property of the Company and its Affiliates
held by the Participant, including, but not limited to, all
reports, manuals, memoranda, computer disks, tapes and data made
available to the Participant during the performance of the
Participant’s duties, including all copies; (iv) hold
confidential any and all information concerning the Company and its
Affiliates, whether with respect to its business, subscribers,
providers, customers, operations, finances, employees, contractors,
or otherwise; and (v) cooperate fully with the Company and its
Affiliates to complete the transition of matters with which the
Participant is familiar or responsible to other employees and make
himself or herself available to answer questions or assist in
matters which may require attention after the Participant’s
Employment Termination Date.
(b) If the Administrative Committee
determines, in its sole discretion, that the Participant has
violated one or more of the foregoing conditions to entitlement to
Benefits, the Administrative Committee may determine that the
Participant will not receive the Benefits or the Company may
discontinue the payment of Benefits under the Plan. Any remedy
under this Section 3.03 shall be in addition to, and not in
place of, any other remedy the Company and its Affiliates may have,
at law or otherwise.
5
Section 4.01 Amount of Immediate Cash
Benefit . The Company, acting in its role as Plan sponsor and
not as a fiduciary, shall determine which Executive Employees shall
be awarded a Benefit hereunder and the amount of any such Benefit.
The Company may take into account any factors it determines to be
relevant in deciding which Executive Employees shall be awarded
Benefits and the amount of such Benefits, and need not apply its
determinations in a uniform manner to terminated Executive
Employees similarly situated. All such decisions shall be final,
binding and conclusive with respect to the Executive Employee.
Unless the Company determines otherwise, subject in all events to
Section 3.03, the cash amount to be paid to a Participant
eligible to receive Benefits under Section 3.01 hereof upon
the Participant’s separation from service shall be paid in a
lump sum as provided in Section 5.01 hereof and shall equal
the sum of the amounts described in subsections (a) through
(d), less the amount described in subsection (e) and subject
to subsection (g), except that any payment under paragraph
(c) below that is based on annual financial performance will
be excluded from the lump sum payment and paid separately as
provided below:
(a) An
amount of Paid Notice equal to three months of the
Participant’s Monthly Compensation.
(b) An amount of Separation Pay equal to
two weeks of the Participant’s Weekly Compensation for each
Year of Service; provided, however, that such amount shall not be
less than three months of the Participant’s Monthly
Compensation and shall not exceed 12 months of the
Participant’s Monthly Compensation.
(c) An amount equal to the
Participant’s annual target bonus amount under the applicable
annual bonus plan (or its successor) for the current fiscal year
multiplied by the number of months elapsed in the current fiscal
year to the Participant’s Employment Termination Date and
divided by 12, as well as any annual bonus amount due from the
prior fiscal year under such plan but not yet paid. Notwithstanding
the foregoing, if the Employment Termination Date occurs in the
last two months of the fiscal year, the bonus amount shall be
calculated as follows:
(i) Unless the Company determines
otherwise, the amount of the current fiscal year target bonus to be
paid pursuant to this paragraph (c) shall be determined and
paid after the end of the fiscal year in accordance with the terms
and conditions of the applicable annual bonus plan as though the
Participant were still an employee, except that the weighting to be
applied to the Participant’s business/financial performance
goals under the annual bonus plan will be deemed to be 100%;
or
(ii) The Company may, in its sole
discretion, determine that the amount payable pursuant to this
paragraph (c) for Employment Termination Dates occurring in
the last two months of the fiscal year will be computed in the same
manner as that provided for Employment Termination Dates occurring
during the first ten months of the fiscal year.
6
The annual
bonus shall be paid within 60 days following the
Participant’s Employment Termination Date; provided however,
that if the annual bonus is calculated based on the full fiscal
year performance, as described above, the annual bonus shall be
paid by December 31 following the end of the Company’s
fiscal year in which the Participant’s Employment Termination
Date occurs.
(d) An amount equal to the
Participant’s earned and accrued vacation entitlement,
including banked vacation time, and personal holidays through the
Participant’s Employment Termination Date.
(e) If the Participant’s employment
with the Company and its Affiliates terminates before a Change in
Control, the cash amount computed in subsections (a) through
(c) above shall be reduced by the amount of cash and the fair
market value of any stock, partnership units or other property that
is payable to the Participant under Restricted Awards after the
Participant’s termination of employment, as determined by the
Company, provided that the Restricted Awards are not considered
deferred compensation under section 409A of the Code. In order to
implement this reduction, if the Company cannot determine the
amount payable under Restricted Awards at the Participant’s
Employment Termination Date, any amounts payable under such
Restricted Awards shall be reduced by the amount of the Benefit
paid under subsections (a) through (c) above, provided
the Restricted Awards are not considered deferred compensation
under section 409A of the Code. In no event shall a Participant be
required to return to the Company or an Affiliate any amounts
previously paid under this Plan.
(f) The reduction described in subsection
(e) shall not apply if the Participant’s employment with
the Company and its Affiliates terminates at or after a Change in
Control. In addition, the reduction described in subsection
(e) shall not apply to any Restricted Awards for which all
requirements for payment have been met before the
Participant’s Employment Termination Date (for example, if
the restriction period for a Restricted Award ends on
December 31, 2007, the Restricted Award is payable on
February 1, 2008 and the Participant’s employment is
terminated on January 15, 2008, the Restricted Award shall not
be reduced by the Benefits under this Plan).
(g) Notwithstanding the foregoing, the
minimum payment calculated under subsections (a) through
(d) above shall not be less than six months of the
Participant’s annual base salary in effect at the beginning
of the quarter immediately preceding the Employment Termination
Date, without regard to the target bonus.
Section 4.02 Executive Benefits
.
(a) If a Participant receives Benefits
under Section 4.01, the Company shall pay to the Participant a
single lump sum payment, as provided in Section 5.01 and
subject to Section 3.03, equal to the COBRA Cost that the
Participant would incur if the Participant continued medical and
dental coverage under the Company’s benefit plans through the
end of the Salary Continuation Period, based on the benefits in
effect for the Participant (and where applicable, his or her spouse
and dependents) at the Participant’s Employment Termination
Date, less the amount that the Participant would be required to
contribute for medical and dental coverage if such Participant were
an active employee.
7
(b) A Participant who receives Benefits
under Section 4.01 may elect COBRA Coverage according to the
terms of the Company’s applicable medical and dental plans.
If the Participant elects COBRA Coverage, the Participant shall be
responsible for paying the COBRA Cost of such coverage in order to
be eligible for the coverage. Any applicable conversion rights
shall be provided to the Participant at the time coverage
ceases.
(c) Each Participant who receives Benefits
under Section 4.01 shall be entitled to receive outplacement
services for up to six months follo
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