QuickLinks -- Click here to rapidly navigate through this document


Exhibit 4.1

        AMENDED AND RESTATED COMMUNICATION SYSTEMS, INC.
1990 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

As Amended through May 16, 2002


SECTION

  CONTENTS
  PAGE

1.

 

Establishment of Plan

 

1

2.

 

Purpose

 

1

3.

 

Administration

 

1

4.

 

Duration and Phases

 

1

5.

 

Eligibility

 

2

6.

 

Participation

 

2

7.

 

Payroll Deduction

 

2

8.

 

Stock Options

 

3

9.

 

Withdrawal or Termination

 

3

10.

 

Stock Reserved For Options

 

4

11.

 

Accounting & Use of Funds

 

4

12.

 

Adjustments

 

4

13.

 

Non-Transferable

 

5

14.

 

Designation of Beneficiaries

 

5

15.

 

Amendments and Termination

 

5

16.

 

Interest

 

6

17.

 

Notice

 

6

18.

 

Participation of Subsidiaries

 

6

19.

 

Definitions

 

6


AMENDED AND RESTATED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC.
1990 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN

        1.    Establishment of Plan. Communications Systems, Inc. (hereinafter referred to as the "Company") proposes to grant to certain employees of the Company the opportunity to purchase common stock of the Company. Such common stock shall be purchased pursuant to the plan herein set forth which shall be known as the "COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC. 1990 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN" (hereinafter referred to as the "Plan"). The Company intends that the Plan shall qualify as an "Employee Stock Purchase Plan" under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended, and shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements of said Section 423 and the regulations thereunder.

        2.    Purpose. The Plan is intended to encourage stock ownership by all employees of the Company, and as an incentive to them to remain in employment, improve operations, increase profits, and contribute more significantly to the Company's success.

        3.    Administration. The Plan shall be administered by a stock purchase committee (hereinafter referred to as the "Committee") consisting of not less than three directors or employees of the Company, as designated by the Board of Directors of the Company (hereinafter referred to as the "Board of Directors"). The Board of Directors shall fill all vacancies in the Committee and may remove any member of the Committee at any time, with or without cause. The Committee shall select its own chairman and hold its meetings at such times and places as it may determine. All determinations of the Committee shall be made by a majority of its members. Any decision which is made in writing and signed by a majority of the members of the Committee shall be effective as fully as though made by a majority vote at a meeting duly called and held. The determinations of the Committee shall be made in accordance with its judgment as to the best interests of the Company, its employees and its shareholders and in accordance with the purposes of the Plan; provided, however, that the provisions of the Plan shall be construed in a manner consistent with the requirements of Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code, as amended. Such determinations shall be binding upon the Company and the participants in the Plan unless otherwise determined by the Board of Directors. The Company shall pay all expenses of administering the Plan. No member of the Board of Directors or the Committee shall be liable for any action or determination made in good faith with respect to the Plan or any option granted under it.

        4.    Duration and Phases of the Plan. (a) The Plan will commence on July 1, 1990 and will terminate ten (10) years thereafter, except that any phase commenced prior to such termination shall, if necessary, be allowed to continue beyond such termination until completion. Notwithstanding the foregoing, this Plan shall be considered of no force or effect and any options granted shall be considered null and void unless the holders of a majority of all the issued and outstanding shares of the common stock of the Company approve the Plan within twelve (12) months before or after the date of its adoption by the Board of Directors.

1


        5.    Eligibility. All Employees, as defined in Paragraph 19 hereof, who are employed by the Company at least one day prior to the Commencement Date of a phase shall be eligible to participate in such phase.

        6.    Participation. Participation in the Plan is voluntary. An eligible Employee may elect to participate in any phase of the Plan, and thereby become a "Participant" in the Plan, by completing the Plan payroll deduction form provided by the Company and delivering it to the Company or its designated representative prior to the Commencement Date of that phase. Payroll deductions for a Participant shall commence on the first payday after the Commencement Date of the phase and shall terminate on the last payday immediately prior to or coinciding with the termination date of that phase unless sooner terminated by the Participant as provided in Paragraph 9 hereof.

        7.    Payroll Deduction. (a) Upon enrollment, a Participant shall elect to make contributions to the Plan by payroll deductions (in full dollar amounts and in amounts calculated to be as uniform as practicable throughout the period of the phase), in the aggregate amount not in excess of 10% of such Participant's Base Pay for the term of the phase, as determined according to Paragraph 19 hereof.

        The minimum authorized payroll deduction must aggregate to not less than $10 per month.

        8.    Options.

2


        9.    Withdrawal or Termination of Participation. (a) A Participant may, at any time prior to the termination date of a phase, withdraw all payroll deductions then credited to his account by giving written notice to the Company. Promptly upon receipt of such notice of withdrawal, all payroll deductions credited to the Participant's account will be paid to him with interest accrued thereon and no further payroll deductions will be made during that phase. In such event, the option granted the Participant under that phase of the Plan shall lapse immediately. Partial withdrawals of payroll deductions hereunder may not be made.

3


        10.  Stock Reserved for Options. (a) Four Hundred Thousand (400,000)(1) shares of the Company's $.05 par value common stock are reserved for issuance upon the exercise of options to be granted under the Plan. Shares subject to the unexercised portion of any lapsed or expired option may again be subject to option under the Plan.


(1)
100,000 shares (as adjusted for a stock split in 1993) were registered on Form S-8 (File No. 33-39862) on April 11, 1991. 100,000 shares were registered on From S-8 (File No. 33-99564) on November 20, 1995. 200,000 shares are being registered herewith.

        11.  Accounting and Use of Funds. Payroll deductions for each Participant shall be credited to an account established for him under the Plan. A Participant may not make any separate cash payments into such account. Such account shall be solely for bookkeeping purposes and no separate fund or trust shall be established hereunder and the Company shall not be obligated to segregate such funds. All funds from payroll deductions received or held by the Company under the Plan may be used, without limitation, for any corporate purpose by the Company.

        12.  Adjustment Provision. (a) Subject to any required action by the shareholders of the Company, the number of shares covered by each outstanding option, and the price per share thereof in each such option, shall be proportionately adjusted for any increase or decrease in the number of issued shares of the Company common stock resulting from a subdivision or consolidation of shares or the payment of

4



a share dividend (but only on the shares) or any other increase or decrease in the number of such shares effected without receipt of consideration by the Company.

        13.  Non-Transferability of Options. (a) Options granted under any phase of the Plan shall not be transferable except under the laws of descent and distribution and shall be exercisable only by the Participant during his lifetime and after his death only by his beneficiary of the representative of his estate as provided in Paragraph 9(b) hereof.

        14.  Designation of Beneficiary. A Participant may file a written designation of a beneficiary who is to receive any cash to the Participant's credit plus interest thereon under any phase of the Plan in the event of such Participant's death prior to exercise of his option pursuant to Paragraph 9(b) hereof, or to exercise his option and become entitled to any stock and/or cash upon such exercise in the event of the Participant's death prior to exercise of the option pursuant to Paragraph 9(b) hereof. The beneficiary designation may be changed by the Participant at any time by written notice to the Company.

        Upon the death of a Participant and upon receipt by the Company of proof deemed and adequate by it of the identity and existence at the Participant's death of a beneficiary validly designated under the Plan, the Company shall in the event of the Participant's death under the circumstances described in Paragraph 9(b) hereof, allow such beneficiary to exercise the Participant's option pursuant to Paragraph 9(b) if such beneficiary is living on the termination date of the phase and deliver to such beneficiary the appropriate stock and/or cash after exercise of the option. In the event there is no validly designated beneficiary under the Plan who is living at the time of the Participant's death under the circumstances described in Paragraph 9(b) or in the event the option lapses, the Company shall deliver the cash credited to the account of the Participant with interest to the executor or administrator of the estate of the Participant, or if no such executor or administrator has been appointed to the knowledge of the Company, it may, in its discretion, deliver such cash to the spouse or to any one or more dependents or relatives of the Participant, or if no spouse, dependent or relative is known to the Company, then to such other person as the Company may designate. The Company will not be responsible for or be required to give effect to the disposition of any cash or stock or the exercise of any option in accordance with any will or other testamentary disposition made by such Participant or in accordance with the provision of any law concerning intestacy, or otherwise. No designated beneficiary shall, prior to the death of a Participant by whom he has been designated, acquire any interest in any stock or in any option or in the cash credited to the Participant under any phase of the Plan.

        15.  Amendment and Termination. The Plan may be terminated at any time by the Board of Directors provided that, except as permitted in Paragraph 4(c) with respect to an acceleration of the termination date of any phase, no such termination will take effect with respect to any options then outstanding. Also, the Board may, from time to time, amend the Plan as it may deem proper and in the best interests of the Company or as may be necessary to comply with Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, or other applicable laws or regulations; provided, however, that no such amendment shall, without prior approval of the shareholders of the Company (1) increase the

5


number of shares for which options may be granted under the Plan (except as provided in Paragraph 12 herein), (2) permit aggregate payroll deductions in excess of ten percent (10%) of a Participant's compensation as of the Commencement Date of a phase, or (3) impair any outstanding option.

        16.  Interest. In any situation where the Plan provides for the payment of interest on a Participant's payroll deductions, such interest shall be determined by averaging the month-end balances in the Participant's account for the period of his participation and computing interest thereon at the rate of five percent (5%) per annum.

        17.  Notices. All notices or other communications in connection with the Plan or any phase thereof shall be in the form specified by the Committee and shall be deemed to have been duly given when received by the Participant or his designated personal representative or beneficiary or by the Company or its designated representative, as the case may be.

        18.  Participation of Subsidiaries. The Board of Directors may, by written resolution, authorize the employees of any of its subsidiaries to participate hereunder. Effective as of the date of coverage of any such subsidiary, any references herein to the "Company" shall be interpreted as referring to such subsidiary as well as to Communications Systems, Inc.

        In the event that any subsidiary which is covered under the Plan ceases to be a subsidiary of Communications Systems, Inc., the employees of such subsidiary shall be considered to have terminated their employment for purposes of Paragraph 9 hereof as of the date such subsidiary ceases to be such a subsidiary.

        19.  Definitions. (a) "Subsidiary" shall include any corporation defined as a subsidiary of the Company in Section 425(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954, as amended.

        Adopted by Board of Directors: February 15, 1990

6




QuickLinks

AMENDED AND RESTATED COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS, INC. 1990 EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN