Note 11 - Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2023

Notes to Financial Statements

Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]

Note 11—Employee Benefit Plans

We sponsor and maintain a 401(k) retirement savings plan (the “401(k) Plan”) for our employees who meet certain requirements. The 401(k) Plan permits participants to make pre-tax contributions by salary reduction pursuant to Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code, as well as a Roth Plan that allows for after tax contributions. The 401(k) Plan requires for us to make a guaranteed match of a defined portion of the employee’s contributions. We contributed $1.1 million and $0.9 million to the 401(k) Plan during 2023 and 2022, respectively.

We provide post-retirement life insurance benefits for a small group of retired employees. The plan is noncontributory and is unfunded, and therefore, benefits and expenses are paid from our general assets as they are incurred. All of the employees in the plan are fully vested, and the plan was closed to new employees in 1990. The discount rate used in determining the liability was 6.0% for 2023 and 2022. The following table presents the benefit obligation, which is included in accrued expenses in the accompanying balance sheets (in thousands):

	September 2023			September 2022
Balance at beginning of year	$	264		$	271
Interest expense		—			—
Benefits paid		(9	)		(7	)
Balance at end of year	$	255		$	264