Employee benefits:
Pension and non-pension post-employment benefits:
We classify pension and non-pension post-employment benefits as either defined contribution plans or defined benefit plans.
Under defined contribution plans, our obligation is to make a fixed contribution to a separate entity. The related investment risk is borne by the employee. We recognize our obligations to make contributions to defined contribution plans as an employee benefit expense in our consolidated statement of operations in the period the employee services are rendered.
Under defined benefit plans, our obligation is to provide an agreed upon benefit to specified plan participants. We remain exposed to the actuarial and investment risks with respect to defined benefit plans. Our obligation is actuarially determined using the projected unit credit method, based on service and management’s estimates. Actuarial valuations require management to make certain judgments and estimates relating to salary escalation, compensation levels at the time of retirement, retirement ages, the discount rate used in measuring the net interest on the net defined benefit asset or liability, and expected healthcare costs (as applicable). These actuarial assumptions could change from period-to-period and actual results could differ materially from the estimates originally made by management. We evaluate our assumptions on a regular basis, taking into consideration current market conditions and historical data. Market driven changes may affect the actual rate of return on plan assets compared to our assumptions, as well as our discount rates and other variables which could cause actual results to differ materially from our estimates. Changes in assumptions could impact our defined benefit pension plan valuations and our future defined benefit pension expense and required funding.
Our obligation for each defined benefit plan consists of the present value of the defined benefit obligation less the fair value of plan assets, and is presented on a net basis on our consolidated balance sheet. When the actuarial calculation results in a benefit, the asset we recognize is restricted to the present value of economic benefits available in the form of future refunds from the plan or reductions in future contributions to the plan. To calculate the present value of economic benefits, we also consider any minimum funding requirements that apply to the plan. An economic benefit is available if it is realizable during the life of the plan, or on settlement of the plan liabilities.
We recognize past service costs or credits arising from plan amendments, whether vested or unvested, immediately in our consolidated statement of operations. We determine the net interest expense (income) on the net defined benefit liability (asset) for each year by applying the discount rate used to measure the defined benefit obligation at the beginning of the year to the net defined benefit liability (asset) position, taking into account any changes in the net defined benefit liability (asset) during the year as a result of contributions and benefit payments. Net interest expense and other expenses related to defined benefit plans are recognized in our consolidated statement of operations. The difference between the interest income on plan assets and the actual net return on plan assets is included in the re-measurement of the net defined benefit liability (asset). We recognize actuarial gains and losses on plan assets or obligations, as well as any year over year change in the impairment of the balance sheet position in other comprehensive income (OCI) and we reclassify the amounts to deficit. Curtailment gains or losses may arise from significant changes to a plan. We record curtailment gains or losses in our consolidated statement of operations when the curtailment occurs.
To mitigate the actuarial and investment risks of our defined benefit pension plans, we from time to time purchase annuities (using existing plan assets) from third party insurance companies for certain, or all, plan participants. The purchase of annuities by the pension plan substantially hedges the financial risks associated with our pension obligations. Where the annuities are purchased on behalf of, and held by the pension plan, the relevant employer retains the ultimate responsibility for the payment of benefits to plan participants, and we retain the pension assets and liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet. The annuity purchases have resulted in losses in past periods (and may apply to future annuity purchases), as a result of a reduction in the value of the plan assets to the value of the plan obligations as of the date of the annuity purchase. We record these non-cash losses in other comprehensive income (OCI) on our consolidated balance sheet and simultaneously reclassify such amounts to deficit in the same period. Alternatively, where we purchase annuities from insurance companies on behalf of applicable plan participants with the intention of winding-up the relevant plan in the future (with the expectation of transferring the annuities to the individual plan members, as we intend to do with our U.K Supplemental Plan), the insurance company assumes responsibility for the payment of benefits to the relevant plan participants once the wind-up is complete. In this case, settlement accounting is applied to the purchase of the annuities and the non-cash loss (if any) is recorded in other charges in our consolidated statement of operations. In addition, both the pension assets and liabilities will be removed from our consolidated balance sheet once the wind-up of the plan is complete.
