Employee Benefit Plans
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Dec. 31, 2014
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Employee Benefit Plans | EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS We measure the assets and obligations of the defined benefit pension plans and other postretirement benefits plans to determine the plans’ funded status as of the end of the year as an asset or a liability on our consolidated balance sheets. We record as a component of other comprehensive income/loss or a regulatory asset the changes in funded status that occurred during the year that are not recognized as part of net periodic benefit costs. Defined Benefit Pension Plans We sponsor three defined benefit pension plans: the Chesapeake Pension Plan, the FPU Pension Plan and the Chesapeake SERP. The Chesapeake Pension Plan was closed to new participants, effective January 1, 1999, and was frozen with respect to additional years of service and additional compensation, effective January 1, 2005. Benefits under the Chesapeake Pension Plan were based on each participant’s years of service and highest average compensation, prior to the freezing of the plan. The FPU Pension Plan covers eligible FPU non-union employees hired before January 1, 2005 and union employees hired before the respective union contract expiration dates in 2005 and 2006. Prior to the merger, the FPU Pension Plan was frozen with respect to additional years of service and additional compensation, effective December 31, 2009. The Chesapeake SERP was frozen with respect to additional years of service and additional compensation as of December 31, 2004. Benefits under the Chesapeake SERP were based on each participant’s years of service and highest average compensation, prior to the freezing of the plan. In January 2011, a former executive officer retired and received lump-sum pension distribution from the Chesapeake Pension Plan. Based upon the funding status of the Chesapeake Pension Plan at the time, which did not meet or exceed 110 percent of the benefit obligation as required per the Department of Labor regulations, our former executive officer was required to deposit property equal to 125 percent of the restricted portion of his lump sum distribution into an escrow. Each year, an amount equal to the value of payments that would have been paid to him if he had elected the life annuity form of distribution becomes unrestricted. Property equal to the life annuity amount is returned to him from the escrow account. These same regulations will apply to the top 20 highest compensated employees taking distributions from the Chesapeake Pension Plan. The following schedule sets forth the funded status at December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the net periodic cost for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 for the Chesapeake and FPU Pension Plans:
Included in the net periodic costs for the FPU Pension Plan is continued amortization of the FPU pension regulatory asset, which represents the portion attributable to FPU's regulated operations for the changes in funded status that occurred but was not recognized as part of net periodic cost prior to the merger with Chesapeake in October 2009. This was previously deferred as a regulatory asset by FPU prior to the merger to be recovered through rates pursuant to an order by the Florida PSC. The unamortized balance of this regulatory asset was $3.6 million and $4.3 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The following sets forth the funded status at December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the net periodic cost for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012 for the Chesapeake SERP:
Our funding policy provides that payments to the trustee of each qualified plan shall be equal to at least the minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974. The following schedule summarizes the assets of the Chesapeake Pension Plan and the FPU Pension Plan, by investment type, at December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012:
The investment policy of both the Chesapeake and FPU Pension Plans is designed to provide the capital assets necessary to meet the financial obligations of the plans. The investment goals and objectives are to achieve investment returns that, together with contributions, will provide funds adequate to pay promised benefits to present and future beneficiaries of the plans, earn a long-term investment return in excess of the growth of the Plans’ retirement liabilities, minimize pension expense and cumulative contributions resulting from liability measurement and asset performance, and maintain a diversified portfolio to reduce the risk of large losses. The following allocation range of asset classes is intended to produce a rate of return sufficient to meet the Plans’ goals and objectives:
Due to periodic contributions and different asset classes producing varying returns, the actual asset values may temporarily move outside of the intended ranges. The investments are monitored on a quarterly basis, at a minimum, for asset allocation and performance. At December 31, 2014, the assets of the Chesapeake Pension Plan and the FPU Pension Plan were comprised of the following investments:
At December 31, 2013, the assets of the Chesapeake Pension Plan and the FPU Pension Plan were comprised of the following investments:
At December 31, 2014 and 2013, all of the investments classified under Level 1 of the fair value measurement hierarchy were recorded at fair value based on unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical investments. The Level 2 investments were recorded at fair value based on net asset value per unit of the investments, which used significant observable inputs although those investments were not traded publicly and did not have quoted market prices in active markets. The Level 3 investments were recorded at fair value based on the contract value of annuity products underlining guaranteed deposit accounts, which was calculated using discounted cash flow models. The contract value of these products represented deposits made to the contract, plus earnings at guaranteed crediting rates, less withdrawals and fees. The following table sets forth the summary of the changes in the fair value of Level 3 investments for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013:
Other Postretirement Benefits Plans We sponsor two defined benefit plans: the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan and the FPU Medical Plan. In March 2011, new plan provisions for the FPU Medical Plan were adopted in a continuing effort to standardize FPU’s benefits with those offered by Chesapeake. The new plan provisions, which became effective January 1, 2012, require eligible employees retiring in 2012 through 2014 to pay a portion of the total benefit costs based on the year they retire. Participants retiring in 2015 and after will be required to pay the full benefit costs associated with participation in the FPU Medical Plan. The change in the FPU Medical Plan resulted in a curtailment gain of $892,000. Since we determined that the non-recurring gain resulted from the FPU merger and the related integration, we determined that the appropriate accounting treatment for the portion of the gain allocated to FPU's regulated operations prescribed deferral as a regulatory liability and amortization over a future period, as specified by the Florida PSC. We recorded $170,000 of this curtailment gain in 2012, which was allocated to FPU's unregulated operations. We deferred $722,000 of this curtailment gain and included it as a regulatory liability. We amortized and recorded as a credit to amortization expense $212,000 and $510,000 of the deferred curtailment gain during 2014 and 2013, respectively. The following sets forth the funded status at December 31, 2014 and 2013 and the net periodic cost for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013, and 2012:
Net periodic postretirement benefit costs for 2014, 2013, and 2012 include the following components:
Similar to the FPU Pension Plan, continued amortization of the FPU postretirement benefit regulatory asset related to the unrecognized cost prior to the merger with Chesapeake was included in the net periodic cost. The unamortized balance of this regulatory asset was $46,000 and $54,000 at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. The following table presents the amounts not yet reflected in net periodic benefit cost and included in accumulated other comprehensive income/loss or as a regulatory asset as of December 31, 2014:
Pursuant to a Florida PSC order, FPU continues to record as a regulatory asset a portion of the unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit costs after the merger with Chesapeake related to its regulated operations, which is included in the above table as post-merger regulatory asset. FPU also continues to maintain and amortize a portion of the unrecognized pension and postretirement benefit costs prior to the merger with Chesapeake related to its regulated operations, which is shown as a pre-merger regulatory asset. The amounts in accumulated other comprehensive income/loss and recorded as a regulatory asset for our pension and postretirement benefits plans that are expected to be recognized as a component of net benefit cost in 2015 are set forth in the following table:
Assumptions The assumptions used for the discount rate to calculate the benefit obligations of all the plans were based on the interest rates of high-quality bonds in 2014, reflecting the expected lives of the plans. In determining the average expected return on plan assets for each applicable plan, various factors, such as historical long-term return experience, investment policy and current and expected allocation, were considered. Since Chesapeake’s plans and FPU’s plans have different expected plan lives and investment policies, particularly in light of the lump-sum-payment option provided in the Chesapeake Pension Plan, different assumptions regarding discount rate and expected return on plan assets were selected for Chesapeake’s and FPU’s plans. Since both pension plans are frozen with respect to additional years of service and compensation, the rate of assumed compensation increases is not applicable. We adopted a new mortality table (RP 2014), which was developed by the Society of Actuaries and published during 2014. The health care inflation rate for 2014 used to calculate the benefit obligation is 5.0 percent for medical and 6.0 percent for prescription drugs for the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan; and 5.5 percent for the FPU Medical Plan. A one–percentage point increase in the health care inflation rate from the assumed rate would increase the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation by approximately $380,000 as of December 31, 2014, and would increase the aggregate of the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic postretirement benefit cost for 2014 by approximately $14,000. A one-percentage point decrease in the health care inflation rate from the assumed rate would decrease the accumulated postretirement benefit obligation by approximately $302,000 as of December 31, 2014, and would decrease the aggregate of the service cost and interest cost components of the net periodic postretirement benefit cost for 2014 by approximately $11,000. Estimated Future Benefit Payments In 2015, we expect to contribute $475,000 and $1.6 million to the Chesapeake Pension Plan and FPU Pension Plan, respectively, and $151,000 to the Chesapeake SERP. We also expect to contribute $79,000 and $207,000 to the Chesapeake Postretirement Plan and FPU Medical Plan, respectively, in 2015. The schedule below shows the estimated future benefit payments for each of the plans previously described:
Retirement Savings Plan Effective January 1, 2012, we sponsor one 401(k) retirement savings plan and the 401(k) SERP, a non-qualified supplemental executive retirement savings plan. Our 401(k) plan is offered to all eligible employees who have completed three months of service, except for employees represented by a collective bargaining agreement that does not specifically provide for participation in the plan, non-resident aliens with no U.S. source income and individuals classified as consultants, independent contractors or leased employees. Effective January 1, 2011, we match 100 percent of eligible participants’ pre-tax contributions to the Chesapeake 401(k) plan up to a maximum of six percent of eligible compensation. In addition, we may make a supplemental contribution to participants in the plan, without regard to whether or not they make pre-tax contributions. Beginning January 1, 2011, the employer matching contribution is made in cash and is invested based on a participant’s investment directions. Any supplemental employer contribution is generally made in Chesapeake stock. With respect to the employer match and supplemental employer contribution, employees are 100 percent vested after two years of service or upon reaching 55 years of age while still employed by Chesapeake. Employees with one year of service are 20 percent vested and will become 100 percent vested after two years of service. Employees who do not make an election to contribute or do not opt out of the Chesapeake 401(k) plan will be automatically enrolled at a deferral rate of three percent, and the automatic deferral rate will increase by one percent per year up to a maximum of six percent. We also offer the 401(k) SERP to our executive officers over a specific income threshold. Participants receive a cash-only matching contribution percentage equivalent to their 401(k) match level. All contributions and matched funds can be invested among the mutual funds available for investment. All obligations arising under the 401(k) SERP are payable from our general assets, although we have established a Rabbi Trust for the 401(k) SERP. Assets held in the Rabbi Trust for the 401(k) SERP had a fair value of $3.7 million and $3.1 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. (See Note 9, Investments, for further details). The assets of the Rabbi Trust are at all times subject to the claims of our general creditors. Contributions to all of our 401(k) plans totaled $4.1 million, $3.7 million and $2.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively. As of December 31, 2014, there are 855,975 shares of our common stock reserved to fund future contributions to the 401(k) plan. Deferred Compensation Plan On December 7, 2006, the Board of Directors approved the Deferred Compensation Plan as amended, effective January 1, 2007. At December 31, 2014, the Deferred Compensation Plan consisted of shares of our common stock related to the deferral of executive performance shares, directors’ stock retainers and director cash retainers and fees. Participants in the Deferred Compensation Plan are able to elect the payment of benefits to begin on a specified future date after the election is made in the form of a lump sum or annual installments. Deferrals of executive cash bonuses and directors’ cash retainers and fees are paid in cash. All deferrals of executive performance shares, which represent deferred stock units, and directors’ stock retainers are paid in shares of our common stock, except that cash is paid in lieu of fractional shares. We established a Rabbi Trust in connection with the Deferred Compensation Plan. The value of our stock held in the Rabbi Trust is classified within the stockholders’ equity section of the consolidated balance sheet and has been accounted for in a manner similar to treasury stock. The amounts recorded under the Deferred Compensation Plan totaled $1.3 million and $1.1 million at December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Effective January 1, 2014, our 401(k) SERP was amended, restated and renamed as the Chesapeake Utilities Corporation Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan. In addition, the Deferred Compensation Plan was consolidated into this plan. As a result of these actions, the 401(k) SERP and the Deferred Compensation Plan are now administered as a single plan. |