Employee Benefits
Short-term Employee Benefits
Short-term employee benefits are expensed as the related service is provided. A liability is recognized for the amount expected to be paid if the Company has a present legal or constructive obligation to pay this amount as a result of past service provided by the employee and the obligation can be estimated reliably.
Share-Based Payment Transactions
The grant-date fair value of equity-settled share-based payment awards granted to employees including grants of employee options, restricted share units, and modifications to existing instruments, is recognized as an expense, net of an estimated forfeiture rate, with a corresponding increase in equity (accumulated loss), over the vesting period of the awards. Forfeitures of employee options are recognized as they occur. Service conditions and non-market related conditions are not taken into account in determining the fair value. The amount recognized as an expense is adjusted to reflect the number of awards for which the related service and non-market performance conditions are expected to be met, such that the amount ultimately recognized is based on the number of awards that meet the related service and non-market performance conditions at the vesting date. For any share-based payment awards with market conditions or non-vesting conditions, the grant-date fair value of the share-based payment is measured to reflect such conditions and there is no true-up for differences between expected and actual outcomes.
Post-Employment Benefit Plans
The Company contributes to a post-employment benefit plan that entitles directors, executive officers and other staff members to retire at the age of 67 and receive annual payments based upon the average salary earned during the service period. The Company has insured the liabilities from the post-employment benefit plan with an insurance company and has no other obligation than to pay the annual insurance premiums to the insurance company. The annual pension payments are conditional; the Company will have no further obligation (legal or constructive) to pay further amounts if the insurance fund has insufficient assets to pay all employee benefits relating to current and prior service. Based on its characteristics the Company’s post-employment benefit plan is classified as a defined contribution plan.
Obligations for contributions to defined contribution plans are expensed as the related service is provided. Prepaid contributions are recognized as an asset.