Employee Matters; Benefit Plans (a) Subject to applicable Legal Requirements, the employment of each of the Company’s employees is terminable by the Company at will. The Company is not a party to, nor is currently negotiating in connection with entering into, any collective bargaining agreement or other Contract with a labor organization or work council representing any of its employees and there are no labor organizations representing, purporting to represent or, to the knowledge of the Company, seeking to represent any employees of the Company. Since January 1, 2019, there has not been any strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or any union organizing activity, or any threat thereof, in each case, involving any of the Company’s employees. There is not now pending, and, to the knowledge of the Company, no Person has threatened in writing to commence, any such strike, slowdown, work stoppage, lockout, material labor dispute or union organizing activity or any similar activity or dispute.
(b) Since January 1, 2019, there has been no material Legal Proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened in writing relating to the employment or engagement of any Company Associate. Since January 1, 2019, the Company has complied with all applicable Legal Requirements related to employment, including employment practices, payment of wages and hours of work, leaves of absence, plant closing notification, privacy rights, labor dispute, workplace safety, retaliation, immigration, and discrimination matters, except any lack of compliance which has not had and would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.
(c) Section 3.16(c) of the Company Disclosure Schedule sets forth a complete and accurate list of each Employee Plan. The Company has either delivered or made available to Parent or Parent’s Representatives prior to the execution of this Agreement with respect to each Employee Plan, accurate and complete copies of the following, as relevant: (i) all plan documents and all amendments thereto, and all related trust, insurance or other funding documents, and all amendments thereto; (ii) the most recent determination letter or opinion letter received from the IRS; (iii) for the three most recent plan years, (A) the annual actuarial or other valuation reports, (B) the IRS Form 5500 and all schedules thereto and (C) audited financial statements; (iv) the most recent summary plan descriptions and any material modifications thereto; (v) the most recent nondiscrimination tests required to be performed under the Code; and (vi) any material non-routine communications with any Governmental Body regarding any Employee Plan.
(d) Neither the Company nor any of its ERISA Affiliates has at any time sponsored, maintained, contributed to, or been required to contribute to, or had any liability in respect of, (i) an “employee pension benefit plan” (as defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA) subject to Title IV of ERISA, Code Section 412 or Section 302 of ERISA, including any “multiemployer plan” as defined in Section 4001 of ERISA. No Employee Plan is a (i) a “multiple employer plan” as defined in Section 413(c) of the Code, or (ii) a “multiple employer welfare arrangement” within the meaning of Section 3(40) of ERISA.
(e) Each Employee Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code has obtained a favorable determination letter (or opinion letter, if applicable) as to its qualified status under the Code. Each Employee Plan is now and has been operated, maintained, and administered in compliance in all material respects with its terms and all applicable Legal Requirements, including but not limited to ERISA and the Code. No non-exempt “prohibited transaction” (within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the code) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur with respect to any Employee Plan.
(f) Except to the extent required under Section 601 et seq. of ERISA or 4980B of the Code (or any other similar state or local Legal Requirement) at the participant’s sole expense, neither the Company nor any Employee Plan has any present or future obligation to provide post-employment welfare benefits to or make any payment to, or with respect to any Company Associate.
(g) Since January 1, 2019, all individuals who perform or have performed services for the Company have been properly classified under applicable law as (i) employees or independent contractors and (ii) for employees, as an “exempt” employee or a “non-exempt” employee (within the meaning of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 and applicable state laws), and no such individual has been improperly included or excluded from any Employee Plan, except for misclassifications, non-compliance or exclusions which would not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect and the Company has not received notice of any pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened inquiry or audit from any Governmental Body concerning such classifications.
(h) The Company maintains no obligations to gross-up or reimburse any individual for any tax or related interest or penalties incurred by such individual under Sections 409A or 4999 of the Code.
(i) Each “nonqualified deferred compensation plan” maintained by the Company has been at all times in material documentary and operational compliance with the requirements of Code Section 409A and the guidance provided thereunder.
(j) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not (i) result in any payment or benefit becoming due to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (ii) increase any amount of compensation or benefits otherwise payable to any Company Associate or under any Employee Plan, (iii) result in the acceleration of the time of payment, funding or vesting of any benefits to any current or former employee, contractor or director of the Company or under any Employee Plan, (iv) limit the right to modify, amend or terminate any Employee Plan (except any limitations imposed by applicable Legal Requirements, if any).
(k) The consummation of the Transactions (including in combination with other events or circumstances) will not result in the payment of any amount that could, individually or in combination with any other payment or benefit, constitute an “excess parachute payment” within the meaning of Section 280G of the Code, result in the payment of an excise tax by any Person under Section 4999 of the Code or any amount that would not be deductible under Section 280G of the Code.
(l) With respect to any Employee Plan, (i) no Legal Proceeding (other than routine claims for benefits in the ordinary course) are pending, or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened against any Employee Plan, the assets of any of the trusts under such plans or the plan sponsor or administrator, or against any fiduciary of any Employee Plan with respect to the operation thereof, and (ii) no facts or circumstances exist that could reasonably be expected to give rise to any such Legal Proceeding.
Benefit Plans (a) At the Effective Time, Mutual First or a Mutual First Subsidiary shall be substituted for ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or a ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Subsidiary as the sponsoring employer under those benefit and welfare plans with respect to which ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or any of its Subsidiaries is a sponsoring employer immediately prior to the Effective Time, and shall assume and be vested with all of the powers, rights, duties, obligations and liabilities previously vested in ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or its Subsidiary with respect to each such plan. Except as expressly contemplated by a separate agreement entered into by ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and Mutual First on the date hereof, each such plan shall be continued in effect by Mutual First or any applicable Mutual First Subsidiary after the Effective Time without a termination or discontinuance thereof as a result of the Company Merger or the Bank Merger, subject to the power reserved to Mutual First or any applicable Mutual First Subsidiary under each such plan to subsequently amend or terminate the plan, which amendments or terminations shall comply with applicable law. ▇▇▇▇▇▇, each ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Subsidiary, and Mutual First will use all reasonable efforts (i) to effect said substitutions and assumptions, and such other actions contemplated under this Agreement, and (ii) to amend such plans as to the extent necessary to provide for said substitutions and assumptions, and such other actions contemplated under this Agreement.
(b) At or as promptly as practicable after the Effective Time as Mutual First shall reasonably determine, Mutual First shall provide, or cause a Mutual First Subsidiary to provide, to each full time employee of ▇▇▇▇▇▇, and its wholly-owned Subsidiaries as of the Effective Time ("▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees") the opportunity to participate in each employee benefit and welfare plan maintained by Mutual First or a Mutual First Subsidiary, whichever is applicable, for similarly-situated employees provided that with respect to such plans maintained by Mutual First or a Mutual First Subsidiary, whichever is applicable, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees shall be given credit for service recognized under the corresponding plan of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and its Subsidiaries in determining participation in, eligibility for and vesting in benefits thereunder, and only with respect to severance and vacation plans, accrual of benefits; provided further that ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees shall not be subject to any waiting periods or pre-existing condition exclusions under the group health plan of Mutual First or any applicable Mutual First Subsidiary to the extent that such periods are longer or restrictions impose a greater limitation than the periods or limitations imposed under the applicable ▇▇▇▇▇▇ group health plan; and provided further that to the extent that the initial period of coverage for ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees under any plan of Mutual First or a Mutual First Subsidiary, whichever is applicable, that is an "employee welfare benefit plan" as defined in Section 3(1) of ERISA is not a full 12- month period of coverage, ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees shall be given credit under the applicable welfare plan for any deductibles and co-insurance payments made by such ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees under the corresponding ▇▇▇▇▇▇ welfare plan during the balance of such 12- month period of coverage. Nothing in the preceding sentence shall obligate Mutual First or any Mutual First Subsidiary to provide or cause to be provided any benefits duplicative to those provided under any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ benefit or welfare plan continued pursuant to subparagraph (a) above, including, but not limited to, extending participation in any plan which is an "employee pension benefit plan" under ERISA relative to any period of time with respect to which allocations are made to ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employees under any employee pension benefit plan maintained or sponsored by ▇▇▇▇▇▇ or a Marion Subsidiary. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the power of Mutual First or any Mutual First Subsidiary to amend or terminate any benefit or welfare plans of ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and its Subsidiaries shall not be altered or affected. Moreover, this subsection 6.13(b) shall not confer upon any ▇▇▇▇▇▇ Employee any rights or remedies hereunder and shall not constitute a contract of employment or create any rights, to be retained or otherwise, in employment at Mutual First or any Mutual First Subsidiary.
(c) Any separate agreement entered into by ▇▇▇▇▇▇ and Mutual First on the date hereof relating to employee or other benefits is incorporated herein by reference and shall be deemed a part of this Agreement.