Deferred Compensation Plan

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Deferred Compensation Plan [Abstract]

Deferred Compensation Plan

13. Deferred Compensation Plan

The Company has a deferred compensation plan for select management personnel, highly compensated employees, and members of the Company’s board of directors. Under this plan, the Company may make discretionary contributions to participants’ deferred compensation accounts; prior to 2021, the Company historically contributed 10% of base salary for participants above a specified compensation level. In addition, each participant has the option to defer a portion of their compensation up to a maximum of 80% of their base salary and 100% of their bonuses or director fees. Participant contributions are immediately vested. Company contributions made on or prior to December 31, 2020 will vest 50% after ten years of service and 5% each year of service thereafter. In addition, any unvested company contributions will fully vest on the earlier of: (a) the participant attaining 60 years of age; and (b) death or disability.

Effective January 1, 2021, the Company amended its deferred compensation plan. Under the revision, the Company shall make matching contributions up to 5% of certain participants’ base salary. The revision continues to authorize the Company to make discretionary contributions to participants’ deferred compensation accounts. In view of the opportunity to receive a 5% match, the Company has reduced its discretionary contributions to 5% of base salary each year, though the Company is not obligated to make these contributions.  Under the revision, the amounts contributed by the Company, adjusted for earnings and losses thereon, will vest 20% per year over five years, subject to acceleration upon the occurrence of certain events including the completion of at least 10 years of employment above a specified compensation level. All amounts a participant elects to defer, adjusted for earnings and losses thereon, are 100% vested at all times.

The Company recorded compensation expense of $4.0 million, $2.3 million and $1.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively, related to its contributions to the plan. The total long-term deferred compensation liability under the deferred compensation plan was $54.2 million and $47.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, related to its contributions to the plan and is included in other long-term liabilities.

All benefits under the deferred compensation plan are unsecured obligations of the Company. The Company has contributed assets to a “rabbi trust” for the payment of benefits under the deferred compensation plan. As the assets of the trust are available to satisfy the claims of general creditors if the Company becomes insolvent, the amounts held in the trust are accounted for as an investment on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets of $49.9 million and $45.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively.