exv10w18



 






Exhibit 10.18




Caliper Performance Bonus Plan




     This Performance Bonus Plan (the “Bonus Plan”) for employees of Caliper Life Sciences, Inc.
(“Caliper” or the “Company”) covers the period from January 1 to December 31 of each calendar year.
This contains the entire agreement between you and the Company on this subject, and supercedes all
prior performance bonus compensation programs of the Company and all other previous oral or written
statements to you regarding any performance bonus. The Company reserves the right to modify any of
the provisions of this Bonus Plan at any time with 10 days’ written notice. This Bonus Plan may be
modified only in a writing signed by a Company officer.



     All Caliper employees other than the Chief Executive Officer and sales employees on sales
incentive plans are eligible to participate in the Bonus Plan. No bonus amounts are guaranteed and
all bonuses must be earned in accordance with the terms of this Bonus Plan. Whether and how much of
a performance bonus has been earned, and determination of whether an employee is in good standing,
is in the sole discretion of the Company.



     No bonus is considered earned under this Bonus Plan until the time that such bonus is paid
under the terms of this Bonus Plan. Thus, in the event that a Bonus Plan participant’s employment
has been terminated (either by the Company or by the employee), the participant will not be
entitled to any bonus that has not been paid prior to the termination date.



     It is the intention that performance bonuses under this Bonus Plan will be paid by March
15th of the following calendar year after individual performance reviews for the
previous year have been completed, and after the Board has determined the degree to which Caliper
has attained its corporate goals for the previous year. Employees who are hired during the year
are entitled to receive a prorated performance bonus based on their actual time of service during
the year.



     An employee’s performance bonus will be based on (i) the employee’s individual performance
assessment (as determined in connection with the employee’s annual performance review by his or her
manager) and (ii) the Board of Director’s assessment of the degree to which Caliper has attained
its corporate goals for the year, except for employees at the 5% bonus potential level, for whom
there is no corporate performance component in the bonus calculation.



     An individual employee’s performance objectives will be set by the employee’s supervisor at
the beginning of the bonus period. It is the responsibility of both the employee and his or her
supervisor to ensure such written objectives are set. No performance bonus will be paid unless the
employee attains 70% or more of his or her overall performance objectives. Where numerous
performance objectives are listed but no weighting of relative importance of performance objectives
is provided, the Company will determine in its sole discretion how much weighting each performance
objective should be provided. The Company, in its sole discretion, will determine whether an
employee attained a percentage of any one performance objective and will consider any such pro rata
attainment when assessing the employee’s attainment of overall performance objectives.



 









 





     Caliper’s Board of Directors will determine the objectives to be met by the Company in each
calendar year, as well as the degree to which the corporate goals for such year have been attained.



     The performance bonus calculation is as follows:



          Base Earnings X Target Bonus Percentage = Bonus Opportunity



          Bonus Opportunity X Individual Rating X Corporate Rating (for most employees) = Bonus
Earned



     Nothing in this Bonus Plan is intended to alter the at-will nature of your employment, that
is, your right or the Company’s right to terminate your employment at will, at any time, with or
without cause.