Continuing Employees (a) For a period of one year following the Closing Date, or, if shorter, for the duration of the applicable individual’s employment (the “Protected Period”), Buyer shall provide each Employee employed by a Transferred Company immediately prior to the Closing Date (each, a “Continuing Employee”) with base compensation for such period at a rate not less than such Continuing Employee’s base compensation as in effect immediately prior to the Closing Date.
(b) Seller shall cause the employment of each Employee who is not actively employed as of immediately prior to the Closing Date (including, but not limited to, due to a leave of absence, short-term or long-term disability or otherwise) (any such Employee, a “Leave Employee”) to be transferred to Seller or any of its Affiliates (other than the Transferred Companies) immediately prior to the Closing Date. Seller shall cause the employment of any Leave Employee who returns to active employment within 12 months following the Closing Date to be transferred to a Transferred Company designated by Buyer.
(c) During the Protected Period, Buyer shall, or shall cause an Affiliate of Buyer (including the Transferred Companies) to, provide each Continuing Employee with employee benefits (other than defined benefit pension, retiree medical and equity-related benefits), including target annual cash incentive compensation opportunities, that are no less favorable in the aggregate than the employee benefits (other than defined benefit pension, retiree medical and equity-related benefits) made available by Buyer to similarly situated employees of Buyer and its Affiliates.
(d) Effective as of the Closing Date, each Continuing Employee shall commence participation in the “employee benefit plans” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of ERISA), programs and arrangements of Buyer or its Affiliates (including group health) in which he or she is eligible to participate and for which he or she satisfies the applicable eligibility requirements for participation therein (after giving effect to pre-Closing service credit in accordance with Section 5.3(e))(collectively, “Buyer Benefit Plans”). Buyer shall waive, or cause to be waived, any pre-existing condition limitations, exclusions, actively at work requirements and waiting periods under any Buyer Benefit Plan (other than with respect to any short-term disability plan) that is a welfare benefit plan in which Continuing Employees (and their eligible dependents) will be eligible to participate from and after the Closing Date. Buyer shall recognize and credit, or cause to be recognized and credited, the dollar amount of all co-payments, deductibles and similar expenses incurred by each Continuing Employee (and his or her eligible dependents) under Benefit Plans providing group health benefits during the plan year in which the Closing Date occurs for purposes of satisfying such year’s deductible and out-of-pocket maximums under the relevant Buyer Benefit Plans providing group health benefits in which they will be eligible to participate from and after the Closing Date.
(e) Except as otherwise set forth in this Section 5.3, for purposes of eligibility and vesting under any Buyer Benefit Plans and for purposes of benefit accrual and determining benefits under any Buyer Benefit Plan providing for severance and paid time-off, Buyer shall give each Continuing Employee credit for such Continuing Employee’s service with Seller and its Affiliates (as well as service with any predecessor employer) to the same extent recognized by Seller or its Affiliates immediately prior to the Closing Date under a similar Benefit Plan, except to the extent that such credit would result in duplication of benefits.
(f) To the extent allowable by Applicable Law, Buyer shall take any and all necessary action to cause the trustee of a tax-qualified defined contribution plan of Buyer or one of its Affiliates, if requested to do so by a Continuing Employee, to accept a direct “rollover” of all of such Continuing Employee’s distribution from Seller’s tax qualified defined contribution plan (including plan loans).
(g) From and after the Closing Date, Buyer shall, or shall cause an Affiliate of Buyer (including the Transferred Companies) to satisfy all Pre-Closing Payroll Obligations. The Pre-Closing Payroll Obligations in respect of any unpaid 2016 or 2017 annual, monthly and quarterly bonuses and commissions shall be determined using the applicable methodology set forth on Section 5.3(g) of the Disclosure Schedule. From and after the Closing Date, Buyer and its Affiliates (including the Transferred Companies) shall establish an annual, monthly and quarterly bonus and commission opportunity for the Continuing Employees for the remainder of such performance period using the applicable methodology set forth on Section 5.3(g) of the Disclosure Schedule.
(h) With respect to each Continuing Employee (including any beneficiary or the dependent thereof), Seller shall retain all liabilities and obligations for any medical, dental, health, accident, life or disability claim to the extent that such liability or obligation relates to claims incurred (whether or not reported or paid) prior to the Closing Date and Buyer and its Affiliates shall be liable for any such claim incurred on or following the Closing Date. For purposes of this Section 5.3(h) a claim shall be deemed to be incurred when, with respect to medical, dental, health-related, accident and disability (including workmen’s compensation) benefits, the medical, dental, health-related, accident or disability services giving rise to such claim are performed.