Employee Benefit Plans

6 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2023

Note 11. Employee Benefit Plans

Single Employer Pension Plans

As of December 31, 2023, the Company has two defined benefit pension plans for certain employees, the "Farmer Bros. Plan" and the “Hourly Employees' Plan.” The Company froze benefit accruals and participation in these plans effective June 30, 2011 and October 1, 2016, respectively. After the plan freezes, participants do not accrue any benefits under the plan, and new hires are not eligible to participate in the plan.

The net periodic benefit cost for the defined benefit pension plans is as follows:


	Three Months Ended December 31,				Six Months Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2023		2022		2023		2022

Interest cost	$	1,204	$	1,156	$	2,408	$	2,312
Expected return on plan assets	(1,122)		(1,009)		(2,244)		(2,018)
Amortization of net loss (1)	207		281		413		563


Net periodic benefit cost	$	289	$	428	$	577	$	857

___________

(1) These amounts represent the estimated portion of the net loss in AOCI that is expected to be recognized as a component of net periodic benefit cost over the current fiscal year.

Weighted-Average Assumptions Used to Determine Net Periodic Benefit Cost


	December 31, 2023	June 30, 2023
Discount rate	5.05%	4.50%
Expected long-term return on plan assets	7.00%	6.50%

Multiemployer Pension Plans

The Company participates in one multiemployer defined benefit pension plan that is union sponsored and collectively bargained for the benefit of certain employees subject to collective bargaining agreements, called the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Plan ("WCTPP"). The Company makes contributions to this plan generally based on the number of hours worked by the participants in accordance with the provisions of negotiated labor contracts. The company also contributes to two defined contribution pension plans (All Other Plans) that are union sponsored and collectively bargained for the benefit of certain employees subject to collective bargaining agreements.

Contributions made by the Company to the multiemployer pension plans were as follows:


	Three Months Ended December 31,				Six Months Ended December 31,
(In thousands)	2023		2022		2023		2022
Contributions to WCTPP	$	356	$	378	$	672	$	665
Contributions to All Other Plans	10		8		18		16

Multiemployer Plans Other Than Pension Plans

The Company participates in nine multiemployer defined contribution plans other than pension plans that provide medical, vision, dental and disability benefits for active, union-represented employees subject to collective bargaining agreements. The plans are subject to the provisions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, and provide that participating employers make monthly contributions to the plans in an amount as specified in the collective bargaining agreements. Also, the plans provide that participants make self-payments to the plans, the amounts of which are negotiated through the collective bargaining process. The Company’s participation in these plans is governed by collective bargaining agreements which expire on or before March 31, 2027.

401(k) Plan

Farmer Bros. Co. 401(k) Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) is available to all eligible employees. The Company has a matching program that is available to all eligible employees who have worked more than 1,000 hours during a calendar year and were employed at the end of the calendar year. Participants in the 401(k) Plan may choose to contribute a percentage of their annual pay subject to the maximum contribution allowed by the Internal Revenue Service. The Company's matching contribution is discretionary, based on approval by the Company's Board of Directors.

Beginning in January 2022, the Company amended the 401(k) matching program, whereby the Company on a quarterly basis, will contribute, instead of cash, shares of the Company’s common stock, par value $1.00 per share (the “Common Stock”) with a value equal to 50% of any non-union employee's annual contribution to the 401(k) Plan, up to 6% of such employee's eligible income. The terms of the match are substantially the same as the safe-harbor non-elective contribution. On January 1, 2023, the Company changed its match to 100% of the first 3% each eligible employee contributes plus 50%

on the next 2% they contribute. Effective January 1, 2024, the Company amended the 401(k) matching program, whereby the Company on an annual basis will contribute cash for 100% of the first 3% each eligible employee contributes plus 50% on the next 2% they contribute.

The Company recorded matching contributions of $0.4 million and $0.6 million in operating expenses in the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. The Company recorded matching contributions of $0.5 million and $1.1 million in operating expenses in the six months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively.

During the three months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company contributed a total of 171,786 and 264,712 of shares Common Stock with a value of $0.6 million and $0.6 million, respectively, to eligible participants’ annual plan compensation. During the six months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, the Company contributed a total of 325,832 and 521,764 of shares Common Stock with a value of $0.8 million and $1.2 million, respectively, to eligible participants’ annual plan compensation.