Employee benefits
Pensions and other post-employment benefits
The Group companies have various post-employment plans in accordance with the local conditions and practices in the countries in which they operate. The plans are generally funded through payments to insurance companies or contributions to trustee-administered funds as determined by periodic actuarial calculations.
In a defined contribution plan, the Group’s legal or constructive obligation is limited to the amount that it agrees to contribute to the fund. The Group’s contributions to defined contribution plans, multi-employer and insured plans are recognized in the consolidated income statement in the period to which the contributions relate. If a pension plan is funded through an insurance contract where the Group does not retain any legal or constructive obligations, the plan is treated as a defined contribution plan. All arrangements that do not fulfill these conditions are considered defined benefit plans.
For defined benefit plans, including pension and post-retirement healthcare and life insurance, costs are assessed using the projected unit credit method: the cost is recognized in the consolidated income statement so as to spread the benefit over the service lives of employees. The defined benefit obligation is measured as the present value of the estimated future cash outflows using interest rates on high-quality corporate bonds or government bonds with maturities that most closely match expected payouts of benefits. Actuarial gains and losses arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are charged or credited to equity in other comprehensive income in the period in which they arise. Past service costs and settlement gains and losses are recognized immediately in the consolidated income statement as part of service cost, when the plan amendment, curtailment or settlement occurs. Curtailment gains and losses are accounted for as past service costs.
The liability or asset recognized in the consolidated statement of financial position is the defined benefit obligation as of the closing date less the fair value of plan assets including effects relating to any asset ceiling.
Remeasurements, comprising actuarial gains and losses, the effect of the asset ceiling and the return on plan assets, excluding amounts recognized in net interest, are recognized immediately in the consolidated statement of financial position with a corresponding debit or credit to Fair Value and Other Reserves in Equity through the consolidated statement of other comprehensive income in the period in which they occur. Remeasurements are not reclassified to the consolidated income statement in subsequent periods.
Actuarial valuations for the Group’s defined benefit post-employment plans are performed annually or when a material curtailment or settlement of a defined benefit plan occurs.