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                                                              EXHIBIT 10.10(b)
                                                              ----------------



                    FORM OF AMENDMENT TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT


     AMENDMENT AGREEMENT made as of the 1st day of October 1996 by and between
Ekco Group, Inc. (hereinafter "Group") and ___________(hereinafter "Executive").

     WHEREAS, a certain employment agreement was amended and restated and
entered into between Group and Executive as of May 25, 1995 (the "Agreement");
and

     WHEREAS, the Executive and Group desire to amend the Agreement as
hereinafter set forth.

     NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants set forth herein
and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which
are hereby acknowledged, the parties hereto agree as follows:

     1. The Agreement is hereby amended as follows:

          1.1 Deleting Section 6 in its entirety and inserting in its the
following:

     "6.  LETTER OF CREDIT. In order to assure Executive the prompt payment of
          amounts due [him/her] under Section 5 of this Agreement, Group agrees
          to continue to secure and to keep in place one or more irrevocable
          letter(s) of credit from Fleet Bank of Massachusetts, N.A. or another
          bank reasonably acceptable to Executive in the initial amount at least
          equal or greater than (i)______ (___) times Executive's Adjusted
          Salary, or (ii) the sum of the Lump Sum Payment Amount and a
          reasonable amount calculated to cover the Executive's Medical, Dental
          and Life Insurance Coverage Continuation, Outplacement Benefit,
          [Automobile Benefits] and Gross-Up Payment (collectively, the
          "Section 5.3.4 Severance Benefits"), in substantially the form of
          Exhibit A, or upon other terms reasonably acceptable to Executive,
          which shall allow Executive (or [his/her] legal representative) to
          draw down amounts due [him/her] under Section 5 of this Agreement upon
          certification by Executive (or [his/her] legal representative) that
          payments are due [him/her] pursuant to this Agreement. The amount of
          the letter(s) of credit shall be adjusted at least annually to reflect
          changes in Executive's salary, so that it shall at all times be at
          least equal to the greater of (i)_______ (____) times the Adjusted
          Salary, or (ii) the Section 5.3.4 Severance Benefits. In addition, to
          the extent not included above, the



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          letter(s) of credit (or a separate letter of credit) shall include an
          amount which Group, in its reasonable judgment, determines is
          necessary to secure Group's obligations under any stock appreciation
          right plan or other equity-linked plan (other than the ESOP),
          provided, however, that such amount need not include any amount with
          respect to stock options, restricted stock subject to repurchase
          rights, or any equity plan giving Executive ownership of shares. An
          initial determination of the amount necessary to secure such
          equity-linked obligations shall be made on the date of grant to
          Executive of such equity-linked right, and the amount shall
          subsequently be adjusted at least annually to reflect the value on
          such date of such rights. A failure by Group to keep such letter(s) of
          credit in effect, or to renew or to make alternate arrangements to
          secure its obligations in the amount required hereunder, by way of an
          escrow agreement, trust, or other device, which arrangements shall be
          reasonably satisfactory to Executive, at least thirty (30) days prior
          to the expiration date of the letter(s) of credit or any such
          alternate arrangement shall constitute an event of default under this
          Agreement entitling Executive, after written notice to Group and the
          passage of a ten (10) day cure period without such default being
          cured, to all of the benefits accorded to [him/her] in the event of a
          termination by Group without Good Cause following a Change of Control
          pursuant to Section 5, without, however, the requirement that
          Executive terminate [his/her] employment hereunder. Group agrees to
          notify Executive within three (3) business days of any failure or
          inability to maintain or renew such letter(s) of credit or other
          device adopted pursuant to this Section. Notwithstanding the
          foregoing, at the election of the Board of Directors of Group by
          resolution of such Board with at least two-thirds (2/3) of the
          then-serving Group directors who are Group directors as of the date
          hereof voting in favor, the obligation to maintain letter(s) of credit
          shall be relieved to the extent amounts are contributed to a trust or
          trusts under the terms of which such amounts are specifically
          earmarked as security for payment of obligations under this Agreement
          and are at all times at least equal to the greater of (i)_____ (____)
          times the Adjusted Salary, or (ii) the Section 5.3.4 Severance
          Benefits. Such trust or trusts may contain a provision that its funds
          will be returned to Group so as to be available to its general
          creditors in the event of the bankruptcy of Group. Group agrees that
          it will not take any action to prevent, hinder or delay the exercise
          by Executive of [his/her] rights to exercise the security provisions
          provided in this Section 6 and, further, agrees to



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          cooperate with Executive as may be necessary to enable Executive to
          exercise and obtain the benefits of such security provisions, in the
          absence of fraudulent or unlawful conduct on the part of Executive
          with respect to such exercise."

     2. The Agreement as amended hereby is hereinafter referred to as the
"Employment Agreement."

     3. This Amendment Agreement constitutes the entire agreement between the
parties with respect to the subject matter hereof.

     4. Except as expressly provided for herein, the Employment Agreement is
hereby ratified and confirmed and shall continue in full force and effect.

     5. This Amendment Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts,
and each such counterpart hereof shall be deemed to be an original instrument,
but all such counterparts together shall constitute but one agreement.

     IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have caused this Amendment Agreement to be
executed and delivered by its duly authorized officer and its corporate seal to
be hereunto affixed and Executive has hereunto set [his/her] hand and seal as of
the day and year first above written in duplicate originals.




                                          EKCO GROUP, INC.

[Seal]

                                          By:
                                             ---------------------------------
 
                                          Title:
                                                ------------------------------


                                          ------------------------------------
                                          EXECUTIVE



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                          SCHEDULE TO FORM OF AMENDMENT
                             TO EMPLOYMENT AGREEMENT



      The employees listed below each have entered into an Amendment to
Employment Agreement with the Company identical in form to the foregoing Form of
Amendment to Employment Agreement except as to the multiplier of Adjusted
Salary.

Name and Position(s)                      Adjusted Salary Multiplier
--------------------                      --------------------------

Donato A. DeNovellis                      Four (4) times
Executive Vice President,
 Finance & Administration

Brian R. McQuesten                        Two and one half (2 1/2) times
Vice President & Controller

Linda R. Millman                          Two and one half (2 1/2) times
Associate General Counsel &
 Assistant Secretary

Jeffrey A. Weinstein                      Four (4) times
Executive Vice President,
 Secretary and General
 Counsel

Harry E. Whaley                           Two and one half (2 1/2) times
President, Woodstream
 Corporation