Exhibit 10.9
SARA LEE
CORPORATION
SEVERANCE PLANS FOR CORPORATE
OFFICERS
(As amended and restated effective
January 1, 2009)
INTRODUCTION
This document sets forth the
severance plans of Sara Lee Corporation (the
“Corporation”) governing:
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(a)
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payments and
benefits to be provided in the event of the involuntary termination
of employment with the Corporation of an officer of the Corporation
(excluding assistant secretaries, assistant treasurers and any
other positions below the level of a Board of Directors-appointed
Corporate Vice President) who was elected by the Board of Directors
of the Corporation (“Officer” or “Terminated
Officer”), as set forth in Article 2 below; and
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(b)
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payments and
benefits to be provided in the event of the termination of
employment with the Corporation of an Officer under certain
circumstances following a change in control of the Corporation, as
set forth in Article 3 below.
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ARTICLE 1
COMMON PROVISIONS
The following provisions shall apply
to both the Involuntary Termination Plan (Article 2 below) and the
Change in Control Plan (Article 3 below):
Whenever used in the Involuntary
Termination Plan or the Change in Control Plan, capitalized terms
used but not otherwise defined herein shall have the meanings set
forth below:
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(a)
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“
Board ” means the Board of Directors of the
Corporation.
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(b)
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“
Committee ” means the Compensation and Employee
Benefits Committee of the Board, a subcommittee thereof, or such
other committee as may be appointed by the Board.
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(c)
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“
Code ” means the United States Internal Revenue Code
of 1986, as amended, and any successors thereto.
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(d)
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“
Corporation ” means Sara Lee Corporation and any
successor thereto.
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(e)
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“
Effective Date ” of both the Involuntary Termination
Plan and the Change in Control Plan as described herein means
June 30, 2006.
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Except as may be provided under any
other agreement between an Officer and the Corporation, the
employment of such Officer by the Corporation is “at
will,” and may be terminated by either such Officer or the
Corporation at any time, subject to applicable law.
In the event any provision of either
the Involuntary Termination Plan or the Change in Control Plan
shall be held illegal or invalid for any reason, the illegality or
invalidity of such provision shall not affect the remaining parts
of such plan, and such plan shall be construed and enforced as if
the illegal or invalid provisions had not been included. Further,
the captions of the plans are not part of the provisions thereof
and shall have no force and effect.
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1.4
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Compliance
with Section 409A
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Notwithstanding anything in these
plans to the contrary, the Corporation further intends that to the
extent the plans provide a severance pay benefit that constitutes a
deferral of compensation as determined in accordance with
Section 409A of the Code and the regulations and guidance
promulgated thereunder (collectively, “Section 409A”),
each provision in these plans shall be interpreted to comply with
the requirements of Section 409A and any provision that would
conflict with such requirements shall not be valid or
enforceable.
ARTICLE 2
INVOLUNTARY TERMINATION
PLAN
This plan (the “Involuntary
Termination Plan”) has been established by the Corporation to
govern payments and benefits to be made in the event of the
involuntary termination of employment with the Corporation of an
Officer on or after the Effective Date. The Involuntary Termination
Plan does not govern severance payments and benefits to be made in
the event of a Qualifying Termination (as such term is defined in
Article 3 below), which matters are instead governed by the Change
in Control Plan (Article 3 below).
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2.2
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Statement of
General Purpose
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It is intended by the Corporation
that an Officer whose employment with the Corporation has been
involuntarily terminated under the circumstances described herein
be entitled to specified severance pay and benefits as set forth in
this Involuntary Termination Plan, and subject to the terms of a
separation agreement between the Corporation and the Officer
entered into in connection with the termination of employment. This
Involuntary Termination Plan duly recognizes the circumstances of
termination and years of service with the Corporation as factors to
be considered in the determination of the amount of severance to be
paid to a Terminated Officer.
Whenever used in the Involuntary
Termination Plan, capitalized terms used but not otherwise defined
herein shall have the meanings set forth below:
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(a)
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“ Base
and Bonus Compensation ” means one-twelfth (1/12) of
the sum of (i) the annual salary in effect for the Officer
immediately prior to the Officer’s termination and
(ii) 75% of the Officer’s target annual incentive as
defined under the annual incentive plan of the Corporation (the
“Annual Incentive Plan”) for the year in which the
termination occurs.
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(b)
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“
Cause ” shall mean a determination by the Corporation
that the Officer has willfully engaged in conduct materially
injurious to the Corporation or has committed a crime involving
dishonesty, moral turpitude or other disreputable behavior,
including, but not limited to, a violation of the
Corporation’s Global Business Standards.
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(c)
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“
Disability ” shall mean a determination by the
Corporation under the Corporation’s disability plan that the
Officer is disabled.
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(d)
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“
ERISA ” means the Employee Retirement Income Security
Act of 1974, as amended and any successors thereto.
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(e)
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“
Retirement ” shall mean a termination on or after the
Officer’s normal retirement age (as defined in the applicable
Retirement Plan) following which the Terminated Officer is eligible
for retirement benefits under such Retirement Plan.
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(f)
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“
Retirement Plan ” means the Sara Lee Corporation
Salaried Pension Plan or any other qualified retirement plan of the
Corporation, other than a 401(k) plan.
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(g)
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“
Termination Date ” means the date of the
Officer’s termination of employment with the Corporation and
its Controlled Group Members by reason of resignation or discharge,
which shall be interpreted consistent with the definition of
“separation from service” in Code
Section 409A(a)(2)(A)(i) and any IRS guidance issued
thereunder. For purposes of this definition, “Controlled
Group Member” means the Corporation and any affiliated or
related corporation which is a member of a controlled group of
corporations (within the meaning of Section 1563(a) of the
Code) which includes the Corporation or any trade or business
(whether or not incorporated), which is under common control with
the Corporation (within the meaning of Section 414(c) of the
Code).
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2.4
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Eligibility
for Severance
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(a)
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Eligible
Terminations . Subject to
Section 2.4(b), an Officer may be eligible for severance
payments and benefits pursuant to this Involuntary Termination Plan
only if his or her employment with the Corporation terminates under
one of the following circumstances:
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(i)
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the
Officer’s employment is terminated involuntarily due to an
organizational restructuring which results in the elimination of
the Officer’s position or function; or
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(ii)
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the Officer
terminates his or her employment at the direction of the
Corporation.
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(b)
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Ineligible
Terminations .
Notwithstanding Section 2.4(a), an Officer shall not be
eligible for any severance payments or benefits pursuant to this
Involuntary Termination Plan if his or her employment with the
Corporation terminates under any of the following
circumstances:
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(i)
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a termination
for Cause;
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(ii)
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a termination
due to Disability;
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(iii)
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a termination
due to death;
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(iv)
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a termination
due to Retirement;
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(v)
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a voluntary
termination of employment by the Officer other than at the
direction of the Corporation;
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(vi)
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a termination
of employment of the Officer following which, within a reasonable
period of time, the Officer is offered and accepts new employment
with the Corporation;
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(vii)
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the transfer of
the Officer’s employment to a different division or operation
of the Corporation with the consent of the Officer;
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(viii)
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the divestiture
by the Corporation of the division or operation that employs the
Officer and the continuance of employment by the new or acquiring
entity on substantially the same financial terms and conditions as
in effect immediately prior to such disposition or on such other
terms and conditions as are agreed to by the Officer;
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(ix)
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a termination
of employment of the Officer under circumstances which entitle the
Officer to receive severance payments or benefits pursuant to the
terms of the Change in Control Plan (Article 3 below) or another
plan or agreement which is or has been established or entered into
by the Corporation or assumed by the Corporation in an acquisition,
merger or similar transaction (including without limitation a
change-in-control plan or agreement with a company which is
acquired by the Corporation); or
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(x)
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any other
termination of employment under circumstances not described in
Section 2.4(a).
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(c)
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Characterization of Termination
. The characterization of an
Officer’s termination under this Involuntary Termination Plan
shall be made by the Corporation’s Executive Vice
President-Human Resources, or such other person or committee
designated by the Committee, which determination shall be final and
binding (subject, however, to Section 2.10(c)
below).
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2.5
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Severance
Benefits Payable
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(a)
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Severance
Pay . An Officer
terminated under circumstances described in Section 2.4(a),
and not described in Section 2.4(b), shall receive the
following benefit (“Severance Pay”):
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(i)
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continued
payment of the Officer’s Base and Bonus Compensation (the
“Base and Bonus Portion of Severance”), over the number
of months (the “Severance Period”) determined by
multiplying:
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(A)
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the number of
the Officer’s full years of employment with the Corporation
(including periods of employment with a predecessor employer, the
business of which was acquired by the Corporation), by
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(B)
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three months if
the Officer is an Executive Vice President or an officer senior
thereto; two months if the Officer is a Senior Vice President; or
one month if the Officer is a Vice President; provided, however, in
no event shall the Severance Period be less than twelve months or
more than twenty-four months;
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(ii)
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a pro-rata
amount (from the first day of the current fiscal year of the
Corporation to the Officer’s Termination Date) of:
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(A)
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the annual
incentive, if any, payable under the Annual Incentive Plan in
effect with respect to the fiscal year in which the Termination
Date occurs, using actual results, financial or non-financial, if
applicable (the “Annual Incentive Portion of
Severance”); and
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(B)
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the long-term
incentive award, if any, payable under any long-term incentive
program of the Corporation in which the Terminated Officer was a
participant immediately prior to such Officer’s Termination
Date, if such long-term incentive award relates, in whole or in
part, to the period prior to the Termination Date (the
“Long-Term Incentive Portion of Severance”), with the
pro-rata amount calculated pursuant to the terms and conditions
approved by the Committee at the time the award was granted and
applicable to such long-term incentive program or award.
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(iii)
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a lump sum cash
amount equal to the Officer’s unpaid base salary and accrued
and unused vacation through the Officer’s Termination
Date.
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(b)
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Health
Coverage . Beginning at
the Termination Date, a Terminated Officer shall be eligible to
elect COBRA continuation coverage under the group health plan
(medical, dental and vision) available to similarly situated
officers of the Corporation provided the Terminated Officer was
enrolled in the group health insurance plan on the day prior to the
Termination Date. If a Terminated Officer eligible for severance
under Section 2.4(a) elects COBRA continuation coverage, the
Corporation shall subsidize the premium charged during the
Severance Period so that the amount of such premium payable by such
Terminated Officer shall equal the amount payable by an active
Officer of the Corporation for similar coverage. In the event the
Severance Period exceeds the period during which the Terminated
Officer is eligible for COBRA continuation coverage, the
Corporation shall pay the subsidy during the COBRA period and then
shall pay the remainder of the subsidy to the Terminated Officer in
a lump sum payment in the nineteenth month following the
Termination Date; provided, however, that if the COBRA period
terminates prior to the end of eighteenth month following the
Termination Date in accordance with the COBRA continuation of
coverage provisions under the Corporation’s group health
plan, then no such lump sum payment shall be made. The premium
charged for COBRA continuation coverage after the end of the
Severance Period shall be entirely at the Terminated
Officer’s expense and may be different from the premium
charged during the Severance Period. The Terminated Officer’s
COBRA continuation coverage shall terminate in accordance with the
COBRA continuation of coverage provisions under the
Corporation’s group health plan. If the Terminated Officer is
eligible for early retirement under the terms of a Retirement Plan
(or would become eligible if the Severance Period is considered as
employment), then in lieu of COBRA continuation coverage under the
group medical plan, the Terminated Officer may elect to participate
in the Sara Lee Corporation Retiree Medical Plan available to the
Officers of the Corporation after the Termination Date in
accordance with the terms and conditions of the plan in effect from
time to time; provided, that such coverage shall not be available
to the Terminated Officer unless he or she elects such coverage
within thirty (30) days following the Termination Date. The
premium charged the Terminated Officer for such retiree medical
coverage may be different from the premium charged an active
Officer of the Corporation for similar coverage.
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(c)
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Participation In Other
Plans . Except as
otherwise provided herein or in the applicable plan, participation
in all other plans of the Corporation available to similarly
situated Officers of the Corporation, including but not limited to,
qualified pension plans, stock purchase plans, 401(k) plans and
ESOPs, personal accident insurance, travel accident insurance,
short and long term disability insurance and accidental death and
dismemberment insurance, shall cease on the Officer’s
Termination Date. Any non-qualified 401(k), ESOP and pension
benefits will be provided to a Terminated Officer eligible for
severance through the Sara Lee Corporation Supplemental Executive
Retirement Plan by treating the Severance Period as a period of
employment with the Corporation. The Corporation shall continue to
maintain during the Severance Period life insurance covering the
Terminated Officer under the Executive Life Insurance Program, as
such program is then in effect. If the Terminated Officer is
eligible for early retirement or becomes eligible for early
retirement during the Severance Period, then the Corporation will
continue to pay the premiums (or prepay the entire premium) so that
the retired Terminated Officer has a paid-up life insurance benefit
equal to his or her annual salary on the Termination Date. Any
long-term incentive awards such Terminated Officer received prior
to the Termination Date shall continue to vest during the Severance
Period pursuant to the terms of the long-term incentive grant
agreements. Any stock option awards that vest prior to the end of
the Severance Period must be exercised by the Terminated Officer
within the applicable period specified in the stock option plan and
stock option grant agreements. A Terminated Officer eligible for
severance under this Involuntary Termination Plan shall be
permitted to continue using the automobile provided to him or her
by the Corporation in accordance with the terms of the
Corporation’s Executive Car Program in effect at the
Termination Date. A Terminated Officer shall not be eligible for
reimbursement of club memberships and expenses incurred, or for
participation in the Corporation’s Matching Grant Program,
after the Termination Date. A Terminated Officer who was an
Executive Vice President or a Senior Vice President shall be
entitled to continued financial planning assistance provided by the
Corporation through the Severance Period. Notwithstanding the
foregoing, to the extent that any financial planning assistance or
any other reimbursements are subject to Section 409A (
i.e. , because it is provided more than 2-
1
/ 2 months
after the end of the Corporation’s or the Terminated
Officer’s taxable year containing the Termination Date and it
exceeds the amount specified in Section 402(g) of the Code),
then (i) such reimbursements shall be payable by the
Corporation on or before the last day of the Terminated
Officer’s taxable year following the taxable year in which
the expense was incurred; (ii) the expenses paid by the
Corporation during any taxable year of the Terminated Officer will
not affect the expenses paid by the Corporation in another taxable
year; and (iii) the right to reimbursement shall not be
subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit.
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(d)
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Foreign
Officers . If the
Terminated Officer is domiciled outside of the United States on the
Termination Date, at the discretion of the Committee, the
Terminated Officer shall receive the severance benefits required to
be paid pursuant to the laws of the country in which the Terminated
Officer is domiciled on the Termination Date in lieu of the
benefits under paragraphs (a) through
(c) above.
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2.6
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Mode of
Payment of Severance
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The Base and Bonus Compensation
Portion of Severance shall be paid in accordance with the
Corporation’s Corporate Officer pay schedule. The Annual
Incentive Portion of Severance, if any, shall be paid to the
Terminated Officer in cash on the same date the active participants
under the Annual Incentive Plan are paid and the Long-Term
Incentive Portion of Severance, if any, shall be paid to the
Terminated Officer in the same form and on the same date the active
participants under the applicable long term incentive plan are
paid.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if a
Terminated Officer is a “specified employee” (as
defined in the Sara Lee Corporation Key Employee Guide), the
following rules shall apply:
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(a)
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For purposes of applying the
exception to Section 409A for short-term deferrals, each
installment shall be treated as a separate “payment”
for purposes of Section 409A. Accordingly, any portion of the
Severance Pay benefit paid (i) within 2-
1
/ 2 months of
the end of the Corporation’s taxable year containing the
Termination Date, or (ii) within 2- 1 / 2
months of the Terminated
Officer’s taxable year containing the Termination Date shall
be exempt from Section 409A and shall be paid in accordance
with the first paragraph of this Section 2.6.
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(b)
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To the extent
benefits are not exempt from Section 409A under subparagraph
(a) above, if the Terminated Officer’s Severance Pay
benefit otherwise payable in the first six months following the
Termination Date is equal to or less than the lesser of the amounts
described in Treasury Regulation
Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii)(A)(1) and (2), such Severance Pay
benefit shall be exempt from Section 409A and shall be paid in
accordance with the first paragraph of this
Section 2.6.
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(c)
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Only to the
extent a portion of the Terminated Officer’s Severance Pay
benefit is not exempt from Section 409A pursuant to
subparagraphs (a) and (b) above, then, any such remaining
Severance Pay benefit will not be paid to the Terminated Officer
until the first payroll date of the seventh month following the
Termination Date. Any deferred payments will be paid in a lump sum
and shall be equal to the portion of the Severance Pay benefit that
exceeds the Section 409A limit, adjusted for interest
calculated at the then-prevailing prime commercial lending rate
published by the Wall Street Journal. Thereafter, the remainder of
a Terminated Officer’s Severance Pay benefit shall be payable
in installments according to the Corporation’s Corporate
Officer pay schedule.
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All payments hereunder shall be
reduced by such amount as the Corporation may be required under all
applicable federal, state, local or other laws or regulations to
withhold or pay over with respect to such payment.
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2.7
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Termination
of Benefits
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All rights to receive or continue to
receive Severance Pay and benefits pursuant to this Involuntary
Termination Plan shall cease on the earliest of:
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(a)
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the date the
Terminated Officer begins receiving benefits under a Retirement
Plan;
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(b)
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the date the
Terminated Officer breaches any of the covenants in the Separation
Agreement and Release, as defined in Section 2.8, including
without limitation any noncompetition, nonsolicitation,
confidentiality or nondisparagement covenants contained therein;
and
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(c)
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the date the
Terminated Officer becomes reemployed by the
Corporation.
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No benefits under this Involuntary
Termination Plan shall be payable to any Terminated Officer until
the Terminated Officer and the Corporation have executed a
Separation Agreement and Release (in substantially the form
approved by the Committee, with such revisions or modifications as
shall be deemed necessary or appropriate by the Executive Vice
President-Human Resources) within 60 days of the Terminated
Officer’s Termination Date, and the payment of benefits under
this Involuntary Termination Plan shall be subject to the terms and
conditions of such Separation Agreement and Release.
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2.9
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Death of
Terminated Officer
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In the event that the Terminated
Officer shall die prior to the payment in full of (a) the Base
and Bonus Compensation Portion of Severance, (b) the Annual
Incentive Portion of Severance, if any, or (c) the Long-Term
Incentive Portion of Severance, if any, then the Terminated
Officer’s estate or beneficiary, whichever is applicable,
shall be paid the remaining payments of such benefits. Such
payments shall not affect or reduce any other death benefits that
the Terminated Officer’s estate or beneficiary shall be
entitled to receive under other plans of the
Corporation.
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2.10
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Administration of Plan
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(a)
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General . Except as specifically provided herein, the
Involuntary Termination Plan shall be administered by the
Committee. The Committee may delegate any administrative duties,
including, without limitation, duties with respect to the
processing, review, investigation, approval and payment of
severance benefits, to designated individuals or committees. The
Committee shall be the “administrator” and a
“named fiduciary” under the Involuntary Termination
Plan for purposes of ERISA.
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(b)
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Interpretations and Variations
. The Committee shall have the duty
and authority to interpret and construe, in its sole discretion,
the terms of the Involuntary Termination Plan in regard to all
questions of eligibility, the status and rights of Officers,
distributees and other persons under the Involuntary Termination
Plan, and the manner, time and amount of any payment under the
Involuntary Termination Plan. The Committee or its representative
shall decide any issues arising under this Involuntary Termination
Plan, and the decision of the Committee shall be binding and
conclusive on the Terminated Officer and the Corporation. Any
variations from the Involuntary Termination Plan may only be made
by the Committee in its sole discretion.
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(c)
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Claims
Procedure . Any
Terminated Officer who believes that he or she is entitled to
receive severance benefits under the Involuntary Termination Plan
may file a claim in writing with the Corporation. No later than
ninety (90) days after the receipt of the claim, the
Corporation shall either allow or deny the claim in writing, unless
special circumstances require an extension of time for processing,
in which case a decision shall be rendered as soon as possible, but
not later than one hundred eighty (180) days after receipt of
the claim. A denial of a claim, in whole or in part, shall be
written in a manner calculated to be understood by the claimant and
shall include:
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(i)
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the specific
reason or reasons for the denial;
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(ii)
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specific
reference to pertinent Involuntary Termination Plan provisions on
which the denial is based;
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(iii)
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a description
of any additional material or information necessary for the
claimant to perfect the claim and an explanation of why such
material or information is necessary; and
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(iv)
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an explanation
of the claim review procedure.
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A claimant whose claim is denied (or
his or her duly authorized representative) may within 60 days after
receipt of the denial of his or her claim:
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(v)
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request a
review upon written application to the Sara Lee Corporation ERISA
Appeal Committee (“ERISA Appeal Committee”);
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(vi)
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review
pertinent documents; and
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(vii)
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submit issues
and comments in writing.
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The ERISA Appeal Committee shall
notify the claimant of its decision on review within sixty
(60) days after receipt of a request for review unless special
circumstances require an extension of time for processing, in which
case a decision shall be rendered as soon as possible, but not
later than one hundred twenty (120) days after receipt of a
request for review. Notice of the decision on review shall be in
writing. The ERISA Appeal Committee’s decision on review
shall be final and binding on any claimant or any successor in
interest. If a Terminated Officer subsequently wishes to file a
claim against the Involuntary Termination Plan, any legal action
must be filed within ninety (90) days of the ERISA Appeal
Committee’s final decision. No action at law or in equity
shall be brought to recover benefits under the Involuntary
Termination Plan until the appeal rights described herein have been
exercised and the Involuntary Termination Plan benefits requested
in such appeal have been denied in whole or in part.
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(a)
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Amendment or
Termination .
Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Committee may
amend, modify or terminate the Involuntary Termination Plan at any
time, which action may be effective prospectively or retroactively,
as determined by the Committee; provided, however, that no
amendment, modification or termination shall deprive any
Terminated
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