Checklist of Employment Agreement Issues

Explanation and Guide
Form:
Checklist of Employment Agreement Issues from the

Perspective of the Employee
Purpose:
This is a checklist of items for an individual to consider when

negotiating an employment agreement with a company.
Checklist of Employment Agreement Issues from the

Perspective of the Employee
Summary:
This checklist is intended to outline the major issues associated

with negotiating employment agreements. Portions of this list may
not be applicable in particular circumstances and other matters not
on this list may need to be addressed.
Scope of Employment
What is the title of the Employee's job?
What are the Employee's responsibilities?
Can the Employee be demoted? Can Employee's responsibilities be
substantially modified, decreased, or increased?
Is Employee guaranteed a seat on the Board of Directors while an
employee?
Where is the place of employment?
Can Employee be relocated unilaterally to another city, or only with
the Employee's consent?
Is the Employee allowed to be involved in other activities (e.g., a
directorship on other Boards, involvement in community activities)?
Salary
What is the base salary?
When is it payable?
Does the salary go up each year by a designated amount or by cost of
living increases?
Are there designated times for performance reviews?
Bonuses
Does Employee get a signing bonus?
Is Employee entitled to a guaranteed bonus?
Are there bonuses to be tied to objective performance standards?
Are target bonus levels or minimum bonuses to be established?
Benefits
Will the Employee participate in all benefit plans of the Company?

Which of these plans should be in place for the Employee? Are all of
the payments for the benefits the responsibility of the Company?
Health and medical (including spouse and dependent
coverage)
Disability
Pension
Cafeteria Plan
Life insurance
Vision
Dental
Executive Financial Counseling

How much vacation per year is Employee entitled? Does unused
vacation continue to accrue for the benefit of Employee and payable
on termination of employment?
Is there a designated sick pay policy?
Any special loans or forgiveness arrangements?
Are some of the benefits taxable to the Employee? Should Employee
be reimbursed for the tax?
Term and Termination
How long is the employment term?
Is the Employee given the right to terminate at the Employee's
discretion prior to the end of the term?
Does the Agreement get renewed automatically on a year-to-year basis
unless the Company gives the Employee notice of non-renewal at least
90 days in advance of the end of the term?
Is the employment "at will"?
What are the grounds, if any, on which employers can terminate?
What are the terms, if any, for compensation in the event of early
termination?
What are the circumstances that the Employee can be fired "for cause",
such as:
Conviction of a felony or any act involving moral
turpitude;
Commission of any act of theft, fraud, dishonesty or
falsification of an employment record;
Material uncured breach of the Employment Agreement;
Failure to perform reasonable assigned duties; and/or
Improper disclosure of the Company's confidential
information.
Employee needs to avoid "for cause" definitions that give the
Company too much latitude for termination.
Is Employee entitled to severance pay on termination? How much?
If the Employee is terminated without cause, is it clear that Employee
will get all salary and benefits that Employee would otherwise have
been entitled to for the remaining term of the Agreement?
If terminated without cause, is the Company required to continue
paying for benefits for some period of time?
Reimbursement of Expenses
Will the Employee's business expenses be reimbursed promptly?
Is there a car or car allowance, cellular phone provided, or other such
amenities?
Are moving expenses to be reimbursed?
Is there a relocation package available for Employee (e.g., the
Company purchasing Employee's house on a move?)
Liability Protection for the Employee

Does the Company have Directors & Officers ("D&O") insurance
coverage? Is the Company required to maintain a minimum amount of
such coverage?
Do the Company By laws provide for indemnification protection for
officers and employees?
Does the Company's Articles of Incorporation limit the liability of
officers and directors to the maximum extent permitted by law?
Is there an Indemnification Agreement that protects the employee,
covering:
Indemnification protection for claims
Automatic advancement of legal expenses
Protection even if the Employee is no longer employed by
the Company?
(Note statutory limitations on indemnification.)
Confidentiality Restrictions
What restrictions have been imposed on the Employee by the prior
employer?
The Employee must be careful not to use or divulge confidential
information of a prior employer -- the new employer will often want a
covenant from the Employee prohibiting such use or disclosure.
If there are confidentiality restrictions on the Employee, are the
following excluded from the definition of "confidential information"?:
Information that is or was publicly known, or which
becomes publicly known through no fault of Employee
Information that is or was obtained from a third party who
had the right to disclose the information without restriction
Information independently derived by the Employee
without reference to the confidential information
Information that was already lawfully in Employee's
possession or knowledge prior to the disclosure of the
confidential information
How long do the confidentiality restrictions last? Indefinitely? A set
number of years after disclosure to the Employee?
Invention Assignment Issues
What is the scope of the Company's rights to the Employee's
development of new inventions, trade secrets, and ideas? Are these the
Company's only if they specifically relate to Company business and
developed during Company time?
Do the invention assignment provisions comply with the Philippine
Labor Code and law on intellectual property or RA 8294?
Breach of Agreement
Is the Company required to give notice to the Employee of any alleged
breaches of the Agreement and an opportunity to cure?
Disability and Death
What is a disability event?
What happens on disability? Does the Employee continue to receive
salary and benefits?
What happens on death? Can medical and other benefits continue for
some period for the spouse and children?
Post-Employment Limitations
Are there limitations on the Employee soliciting Company employees?
For what period?
Dispute Resolution
How are disputes to be resolved?
Should arbitration be considered?
In what city must disputes be brought if litigated or arbitrated?
Golden Parachute
In the event of a change of control of the Company, is Employee
entitled to terminate employment and receive a "golden parachute"
payment (e.g., two or three times the yearly salary)?
What are the tax implications of the golden parachute payment? Will
the Company also gross up the parachute payment to cover the tax?
Will the Company reimburse the Employee's expenses in connection
with BIR audit claiming additional tax?
Representations and Warranties of the Company
Are there specific representations and warranties of the Company that
should be set forth (e.g., financial resources, venture capital backing)?
Has Employee been promised something orally that should be
reflected in the Employment Agreement?
Miscellaneous Provisions
Is the Company prohibited from assigning the Agreement?
Is there an attorneys' fees clause where the prevailing party in a
dispute would be entitled to recoup its attorneys' fees incurred?
Choice of Law
Integration Clause

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Explanation and Guide

Checklist of Employment Agreement Issues from the

This is a checklist of items for an individual to consider when

Checklist of Employment Agreement Issues from the

This checklist is intended to outline the major issues associated

Will the Employee participate in all benefit plans of the Company?

Executive Financial Counseling

Liability Protection for the Employee

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