Post-employment benefit plans include the commitments of the Bank: (i) addition to the benefits of public pension plan; and (ii) healthcare in case of retirement, permanent disability or death for those employees, and their direct beneficiaries.
Defined contribution plans
Defined contribution plans is the post-employment benefit plan which the Bank, and its subsidiaries, as the sponsoring entity pays fixed contributions into a pension fund, not having a legal or constructive obligation to pay further contributions if the fund does not hold sufficient assets to pay all benefits relating to services provided in the current and in previous periods.
The contributions made are recognized in the heading "Interest Expense and Similar Charges" in the income statement.
Defined benefit plans
Defined benefit plan is the post-employment benefit plan which is not a defined contribution plan and is shown in Note 23. For this type of plan, the sponsoring entity's obligation is to provide the benefits agreed with the former employees, assuming the potential actuarial risk that benefits will cost more than expected.
For defined benefit plan, the amendment of IAS 19 established fundamental changes in the accounting for and disclosure of employee post-employment benefits such as removing the corridor approach in the accounting for the obligation of the plans, as well as changes in the criteria for recognition of conventional interest of plan assets (valuation based on the discount rate actuarial liability).
In addition, there is full recognition in liabilities heading of actuarial losses (actuarial deficit) not recognized previously when they occur, which its counterparty is a heading in the stockholders' equity (Other Comprehensive Income).
Main Definitions
- The present value of the defined benefit obligation is the present value without any deduction from the plan assets, of expected future payments required to settle the obligation resulting from employee service in the current and past periods.
- Deficit or surplus is: (a) the present value of the defined benefit obligation, less (b) the fair value of plan assets.
- The sponsoring entity may recognize the plan assets in the financial statements when they meet the following characteristics: (i) the fund assets are sufficient to meet all employee benefit plan or the sponsor obligations; or (ii) the assets are returned to the sponsoring entity in order to reimburse it for employee benefits already paid.
- Actuarial gains and losses correspond to changes in the present value of defined benefit obligation resulting from: (a) adjustments by experience (the effects of differences between the actuarial assumptions adopted and what has actually occurred); and (b) effects of changes in actuarial assumptions.
- Current service cost is the increase in the present value of the defined benefit obligation resulting from employee service provided in the current period.
- The past service cost is the change in present value of defined benefit obligation for employee service provided in prior periods resulting from a change in the plan or reductions in the number of employees covered.
Post-employment benefits are recognized in income in the headings "Interest expense and similar Charges" and "Provisions (net)".
The defined benefit plans are recorded based on an actuarial study, conducted annually by an external consulting firm, at the end of each year to be effective for the subsequent period.