Restructuring Charges

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2021

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

RESTRUCTURING CHARGES

Beginning in the 2020 second quarter, we initiated several regional restructuring plans to achieve cost savings in response to the decline in lodging demand caused by COVID-19. We completed the programs relating to our above-property organization as of year-end 2020. For the property-level programs, including owned and leased properties, we recorded restructuring charges for employee termination benefits in the 2021 first half of $18 million in the “Reimbursed expenses” caption and $1 million in the “Restructuring and merger-related charges” caption of our Income Statements. Cumulative charges incurred for the property-level programs through the end of the 2021 first half totaled $268 million. We anticipate additional property-level restructuring charges in future quarters.

Our U.S. & Canada segment recorded $272 million of cumulative charges for above-property and property-level programs through the end of the 2021 first half, of which $17 million was recorded in the 2021 first half.

The following table presents our restructuring liability activity during the period:


($ in millions)	Employee termination benefits
Balance at December 31, 2020	$	143
Charges	19
Cash payments	(100)
Other	(2)
Balance at June 30, 2021, classified in “Accrued expenses and other”	$	60

Additionally, as of June 30, 2021, we estimated $40 million of costs related to group medical, dental, and vision benefit coverage provided to eligible former associates and furloughed or part-time associates (and their eligible enrolled dependents) pursuant to the continuation coverage requirements under the Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1985 (“COBRA”) for the April 1, 2021 to September 30, 2021 period. We expect to receive payments and credits totaling $36 million from the U.S. Treasury during 2021 or 2022 with respect to such benefit coverage continuation costs under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (“ARPA”). In the 2021 first half, we presented the difference of $4 million in the “Reimbursed expenses” caption of our Income Statements. Our expected COBRA costs and related payments and credits from the U.S. Treasury decreased from March 31, 2021 as a result of lower-than-expected participation in the program.