Section 409A The provisions of this Agreement are intended to comply with or are exempt from Section 409A of the Code (“Section 409A”) and the related Treasury Regulations and shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements for avoiding taxes or penalties under Section 409A. The Company and the Executive agree to work together in good faith to consider amendments to this Agreement and to take such reasonable actions necessary, appropriate or desirable to avoid imposition of any additional tax under Section 409A or income recognition prior to actual payment to the Executive under this Agreement. It is intended that any expense reimbursement made under this Agreement shall be exempt from Section 409A. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if any expense reimbursement made under this Agreement shall be determined to be “deferred compensation” subject to Section 409A (“Deferred Compensation”), then (a) the right to reimbursement or in-kind benefits is not subject to liquidation or exchange for another benefit, (b) the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits, provided during any taxable year shall not affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement, or in-kind benefits to be provided, in any other taxable year (provided that this clause (b) shall not be violated with regard to expenses reimbursed under any arrangement covered by Section 105(b) of the Code solely because such expenses are subject to a limit related to the period the arrangement is in effect) and (c) such payments shall be made on or before the last day of the taxable year following the taxable year in which the expense was incurred. With respect to the time of payments of any amount under this Agreement that is Deferred Compensation, references in the Agreement to “termination of employment” and substantially similar phrases, including a termination of employment due to the Executive’s Disability, shall mean “Separation from Service” from the Company within the meaning of Section 409A (determined after applying the presumptions set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(h)(1)). Each installment payable hereunder shall constitute a separate payment for purposes of Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b), including Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(2)(iii). Each payment that is made within the terms of the “short-term deferral” rule set forth in Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(4) is intended to meet the “short-term deferral” rule. Each other payment is intended to be a payment upon an involuntary termination from service and payable pursuant to Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), et. seq., to the maximum extent permitted by that regulation, with any amount that is not exempt from Code Section 409A being subject to Code Section 409A. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in this Agreement, if the Executive is a “specified employee” within the meaning of Section 409A at the time of the Executive’s termination, then only that portion of the severance and benefits payable to the Executive pursuant to this Agreement, if any, and any other severance payments or separation benefits which may be considered Deferred Compensation (together, the “Deferred Separation Benefits”), which (when considered together) do not exceed the Section 409A Limit (as defined herein) may be made within the first six (6) months following the Executive’s termination of employment in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit. Any portion of the Deferred Separation Benefits in excess of the Section 409A Limit otherwise due to the Executive on or within the six (6) month period following the Executive’s termination will accrue during such six (6) month period and will become payable in one lump sum cash payment on the date six (6) months and one (1) day following the date of the Executive’s termination of employment. All subsequent Deferred Separation Benefits, if any, will be payable in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, if the Executive dies following termination but prior to the six (6) month anniversary of the Executive’s termination date, then any payments delayed in accordance with this paragraph will be payable in a lump sum as soon as administratively practicable after the date of the Executive’s death and all other Deferred Separation Benefits will be payable in accordance with the payment schedule applicable to each payment or benefit.
Section 409A of the Code This Agreement is intended to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (including the exceptions thereto), to the extent applicable, and the Company shall administer and interpret this Agreement in accordance with such requirements. If any provision contained in this Agreement conflicts with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (or the exemptions intended to apply under this Agreement), this Agreement shall be deemed to be reformed to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (or the applicable exemptions thereto). Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, for purposes of determining Executive’s entitlement to the payment or receipt of amounts or benefits that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code, Executive’s employment shall not be deemed to have terminated unless and until Executive incurs a “separation from service” as defined in Section 409A of the Code. Reimbursement of any expenses provided for in this Agreement shall be made promptly upon presentation of documentation in accordance with Sterling’s policies with respect thereto as in effect from time to time (but in no event later than the end of the calendar year following the year such expenses were incurred); provided, however, that in no event shall the amount of expenses eligible for reimbursement hereunder during a calendar year affect the expenses eligible for reimbursement in any other taxable year. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, if a payment or benefit under this Agreement that constitutes nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code is payable or provided due to a “separation from service” for purposes of the rules under Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-3(i)(2) (payments to specified employees upon a separation from service) and Executive is determined to be a “specified employee” (as determined under Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(i) and related Company procedures), such payment shall, to the extent necessary to comply with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code, be made on the date that is six (6) months after the date of Executive’s separation from service (or, if earlier, the date of Executive’s death). Any installment payments that are delayed pursuant to this Section 10 shall be accumulated and paid in a lump sum on the first day of the seventh month following the date of Executive’s separation from service (or, if earlier, upon Executive’s death), and the remaining installment payments shall begin on such date in accordance with the schedule provided in this Agreement. The Severance Benefits and CIC Severance Benefits are intended not to constitute deferred compensation subject to Section 409A of the Code to the extent such Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits are covered by (a) the “short-term deferral exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(4), (b) the “two times severance exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(iii), or (c) the “limited payments exception” set forth in Treas. Reg. § 1.409A-1(b)(9)(v)(D). The short-term deferral exception, the two times severance exception and the limited payments exception shall be applied to the Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, in order of payment in such manner as results in the maximum exclusion of such Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, from treatment as deferred compensation under Section 409A of the Code. Each installment of the Severance Benefits or CIC Severance Benefits, as applicable, and any other payments or benefits that constitute nonqualified deferred compensation within the meaning of Section 409A of the Code shall be deemed to be a separate payment for purposes of Section 409A of the Code. In no event may Executive, directly or indirectly, designate the calendar year of any payment under this Agreement.
Employee Discipline Appropriate sanctions must be applied against workforce 18 members who fail to comply with any provisions of CONTRACTOR’s privacy P&Ps, including 19 termination of employment where appropriate.
Incentive Stock Options If the Shares are held for more than twelve (12) months after the date of the transfer of the Shares pursuant to the exercise of an ISO and are disposed of more than two (2) years after the Date of Grant, any gain realized on disposition of the Shares will be treated as long term capital gain for federal and California income tax purposes. If Shares purchased under an ISO are disposed of within the applicable one (1) year or two (2) year period, any gain realized on such disposition will be treated as compensation income (taxable at ordinary income rates) to the extent of the excess, if any, of the Fair Market Value of the Shares on the date of exercise over the Exercise Price.
Deferral of Compensation The Company shall implement deferral arrangements, reasonably acceptable to Executive and the Company, permitting Executive to elect to defer receipt, pursuant to written deferral election terms and forms (the "Deferral Election Forms"), of all or a specified portion of (i) his annual Base Salary and annual incentive compensation under Sections 4 and 5, (ii) long term incentive compensation under Section 6 and (iii) shares acquired upon exercise of options to purchase Company common stock that are acquired in an exercise in which Executive pays the exercise price by the surrender of previously acquired shares, to the extent of the net additional shares otherwise issuable to Executive in such exercise; provided, however, that such deferrals shall not reduce Executive's total cash compensation in any calendar year below the sum of (i) the FICA maximum taxable wage base plus (ii) the amount needed, on an after-tax basis, to enable Executive to pay the 1.45% medicare tax imposed on his wages in excess of such FICA maximum taxable wage base. In accordance with such duly executed Deferral Election Forms, the Company shall credit to a bookkeeping account (the "Deferred Compensation Account") maintained for Executive on the respective payment date or dates, amounts equal to the compensation subject to deferral, such credits to be denominated in cash if the compensation would have been paid in cash but for the deferral or in shares if the compensation would have been paid in shares but for the deferral. An amount of cash equal in value to all cash-denominated amounts credited to Executive's account and a number of shares of Company common stock equal to the number of shares credited to Executive's account pursuant to this Section 7(b) shall be transferred as soon as practicable following such crediting by the Company to, and shall be held and invested by, an independent Except as otherwise provided under Section 10, in the event of Executive's termination of employment with the Company or as otherwise determined by the Committee in the event of hardship on the part of Executive, upon such date(s) or event(s) set forth in the Deferral Election Forms (including forms filed after deferral but before settlement in which Executive may elect to further defer settlement), the Company shall promptly pay to Executive cash equal to the value of the assets then credited to Executive's deferral accounts, less applicable withholding taxes, and such distribution shall be deemed to fully settle such accounts; provided, however, that the Company may instead settle such accounts by directing the Trustee to distribute Company common stock and/or other assets of the "rabbi trust." The Company and Executive agree that compensation deferred pursuant to this Section 7(b) shall be fully vested and nonforfeitable; however, Executive acknowledges that his rights to the deferred compensation provided for in this Section 7(b) shall be no greater than those of a general unsecured creditor of the Company, and that such rights may not be pledged, collateralized, encumbered, hypothecated, or liable for or subject to any lien, obligation, or liability of Executive, or be assignable or transferable by Executive, otherwise than by will or the laws of descent and distribution, provided that Executive may designate one or more beneficiaries to receive any payment of such amounts in the event of his death.