Employee Benefits

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2019

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Employee Benefits

Employee Benefits

The following table provides the components of the net periodic (benefit) cost recognized in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income for Aon’s significant U.K., U.S., and other international pension plans. Service cost is reported in Compensation and benefits and all other components are reported in Other income (expense) as follows (in millions):

	Three Months Ended June 30
	U.K.						U.S.						Other
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Interest cost	27			29			27			25			7			7
Expected return on plan assets, net of administration expenses	(48		)	(50		)	(34		)	(36		)	(10		)	(11		)
Amortization of prior-service cost	—			—			—			1			—			—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	8			7			14			15			3			3
Net periodic (benefit) cost	(13		)	(14		)	7			5			—			(1		)
Loss on pension settlement	—			16			—			—			—			—
Total net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(13	)	$	2		$	7		$	5		$	—		$	(1	)

	Six Months Ended June 30
	U.K.						U.S.						Other
	2019			2018			2019			2018			2019			2018
Service cost	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Interest cost	55			58			54			50			14			14
Expected return on plan assets, net of administration expenses	(97		)	(101		)	(68		)	(72		)	(20		)	(23		)
Amortization of prior-service cost	1			—			1			1			—			—
Amortization of net actuarial loss	15			15			27			30			6			6
Net periodic (benefit) cost	(26		)	(28		)	14			9			—			(3		)
Loss on pension settlement	—			23			—			—			—			—
Total net periodic (benefit) cost	$	(26	)	$	(5	)	$	14		$	9		$	—		$	(3	)

In March 2017, the Company approved a plan to offer a voluntary one-time lump sum payment option to certain eligible employees of the Company’s U.K. pension plans that, if accepted, would settle the Company’s pension obligations to them. The lump sum cash payment offer closed during 2018. For the six months ended June 30, 2018, lump sum payments from plan assets of £99 million ($132 million using June 30, 2018 exchange rates) were paid. As a result of this settlement, the Company remeasured the assets and liabilities of the U.K. pension plan during the second quarter of 2018, which in aggregate resulted in a reduction to the projected benefit obligation of £87 million ($115 million using June 30, 2018 exchange rates), as well as a non-cash settlement charge of £12 million ($16 million using average June 30, 2018 exchange rates) in the second quarter of 2018 and £17 million ($23 million using average exchange rates) for the six months ended June 30, 2018.

Contributions

The Company expects to make total cash contributions of approximately $80 million, $46 million, and $19 million, based on exchange rates as of December 31, 2018, to its significant U.K., U.S., and other significant international pension plans, respectively, during 2019. During the three months ended June 30, 2019, cash contributions of $23 million, $6 million, and $3 million were made to the Company’s significant U.K., U.S., and other significant international pension plans, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2019, cash contributions of $46 million, $23 million, and $10 million were made to the Company’s significant U.K., U.S., and other significant international pension plans, respectively.

During the three months ended June 30, 2018, cash contributions of $25 million, $8 million, and $3 million were made to the Company’s significant U.K., U.S., and other significant international pension plans, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2018, cash contributions of $48 million, $25 million, and $11 million were made to the Company’s significant U.K., U.S., and other significant international pension plans, respectively.