Employee Benefits
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Dec. 31, 2011
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Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Employee Benefits | Employee Benefits Charles River Laboratories Employee Savings Plan Our defined contribution plan, the Charles River Laboratories Employee Savings Plan, qualifies under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. It covers substantially all U.S. employees and contains a provision whereby we match a percentage of employee contributions. The costs associated with this defined contribution plan totaled $4,178, $4,694 and $6,253, in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Charles River Laboratories Deferred Compensation Plan and Executive Supplemental Life Insurance Retirement Plan The Charles River Laboratories Deferred Compensation Plan (Deferred Compensation Plan) is designed for select eligible employees, including our Named Executive Officers. Under the Deferred Compensation Plan, participants may elect to defer bonus and salary amounts, and may select the investment returns to be applied to deferred amounts from among a number of reference mutual funds as well as an interest crediting rate. The plan is not qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code and is not subject to the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. At the present time, no contributions will be credited to the plan, except as set forth below. Participants must specify the distribution date for deferred amounts at the time of deferral, in accordance with applicable IRS regulations. Generally, amounts may be paid in lump sum or installments upon retirement or termination of employment, or later if the employee terminates employment after age 55 and before age 65. Amounts may also be distributed during employment, subject to a minimum deferral requirement of three years. In addition to the Deferred Compensation Plan, certain officers and key employees also participate, or in the past participated, in our amended and restated Executive Supplemental Life Insurance Retirement Plan (ESLIRP) which is a non-funded, non-qualified arrangement. Annual benefits under this plan will equal a percentage of the highest five consecutive years of compensation, offset by amounts payable under the Charles River Laboratories, Inc. Pension Plan and Social Security. In connection with the establishment of the Deferred Compensation Plan, current active employees who agreed to convert their ESLIRP benefit to a comparable benefit in the deferred compensation plan discontinued their direct participation in the ESLIRP. Instead, the present value of the accrued benefits of ESLIRP participants was credited to their Deferred Compensation Plan accounts, and future ESLIRP accruals will now be converted to present values and credited to their Deferred Compensation Plan accounts annually. Upon the adoption of the Deferred Compensation Plan, the value of their accrued ESLIRP benefits, prior to adjustments for outstanding Medicare taxes, were credited to their Deferred Compensation Plan account. In addition, we provide certain active employees an annual contribution into their Deferred Compensation Plan account of 10% of the employee's base salary plus the lesser of their target annual bonus or actual annual bonus. The costs associated with these defined contribution plans totaled $2,048, $3,082 and $3,562 in 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. We have invested in several corporate-owned key-person life insurance policies as well as mutual funds and U.S. Treasury Securities with the intention of using these investments to fund the ESLIRP and the Deferred Compensation Plan. Participants have no interest in any such investments. At December 31, 2011 and December 25, 2010 the cash surrender value of these life insurance policies were $25,057 and $31,054, respectively. Pension Plans The Charles River Pension Plan is a defined contribution plan and a defined benefit pension plan covering certain UK employees. Benefits are based on participants' final pensionable salary and years of service. Participants' rights vest immediately. Effective December 31, 2002, the plan was amended to exclude new participants from joining the defined benefit section of the plan and a defined contribution section was established for new entrants. Contributions under the defined contribution plan are determined as a percentage of gross salary. During 2009, the UK plan recorded a curtailment gain of $674 associated with the sale of our Phase I PCS business in the UK. The defined benefit pension plans for Japan and our Canadian RMS operation are non-contributory plans that cover substantially all employees of those respective companies. Benefits are based upon length of service and final salary. In addition, our French RMS operation has a defined benefit statutory indemnity plan covering most of its employees. The following tables summarize the funded status of our defined benefit plans and amounts reflected in our consolidated balance sheets. Obligations and Funded Status
Amounts recognized in statement of financial position as part of accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI")
Information for defined benefit plans with accumulated benefit obligation in excess of plan assets
Information for defined benefit plans with projected benefit obligation in excess of plan assets
Amounts in AOCI expected to be recognized as components of net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year
Components of net periodic benefit cost
Rollforward of accumulated other comprehensive income
Assumptions Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations
Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit cost
The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets was made considering the pension plan's asset mix, historical returns and the expected yields on plan assets. The discount rates reflect the rates at which amounts that are invested in a portfolio of high-quality debt instruments would provide the future cash flows necessary to pay benefits when they become due. The rate of compensation increase reflects the expected annual salary increases for the plan participants based on historical experience and our current employee compensation strategy. Plan assets Our pension plans' weighted-average asset allocations are as follows:
Our investment objective is to obtain the highest possible return commensurate with the level of assumed risk. Fund performances are compared to benchmarks including the S&P 500 Index, Russell 2000, BC Aggregate Index and MSCI EAFE Index. Our Investment Committee meets on a quarterly basis to review plan assets. Plan assets did not include any of our common stock at December 31, 2011 and December 25, 2010, respectively. The fair value of our pension assets by asset category are as follows.
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Contributions During 2011, we contributed $18,047 to our pension plans. We expect to contribute $13,868 to our pension plan in 2012. Estimated future benefit payments
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