Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Operations Kelly Services, Inc. is a global workforce solutions provider operating throughout the world.

Fiscal Year The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Sunday nearest to December 31. The three most recent years ended on January 3, 2016 (2015, which contained 53 weeks), December 28, 2014 (2014, which contained 52 weeks) and December 29, 2013 (2013, which contained 52 weeks). The Company’s operations in Brazil are accounted for on a one-month lag. The Company’s equity investment in TS Kelly Workforce Solutions is accounted for on a one-quarter lag (see Investment in Equity Affiliate footnote). Any material transactions in the intervening period are disclosed or accounted for in the current reporting period. Period costs included in selling, general and administrative (“SG&A”) expenses are recorded on a calendar-year basis.

Principles of Consolidation The consolidated financial statements include the accounts and operations of the Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. Certain prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Available-For-Sale Investment The Company’s available-for-sale investment, as further described in the Fair Value Measurements footnote, is carried at fair value with the unrealized gains or losses, net of tax, included as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) in stockholders’ equity. Realized losses and declines in value below cost judged to be other-than-temporary, if any, are included as a component of asset impairments expense in the consolidated statement of earnings. The fair value of the available-for-sale investment is based on quoted market prices.

Foreign Currency Translation All of the Company’s international subsidiaries use their local currency as their functional currency. Revenue and expense accounts of foreign subsidiaries are translated to U.S. dollars at average exchange rates, while assets and liabilities are translated to U.S. dollars at year-end exchange rates. Resulting translation adjustments, net of tax, where applicable, are reported as accumulated foreign currency translation adjustments in stockholders’ equity and are recorded as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income.

Revenue Recognition Revenue from services is recognized as services are provided by the temporary or contract employees. Revenue from permanent placement services is recognized at the time the permanent placement candidate begins full-time employment. Revenue from other fee-based services is recognized when the services are provided. Revenues from sales of services and the related direct costs are recorded in accordance with the accounting guidance on reporting revenue gross as a principal versus net as an agent. When we act as an agent, we report the revenues on a net basis. Provisions for sales allowances (billing adjustments related to errors, service issues and compromises on billing disputes), based on historical experience, are recognized at the time the related sale is recognized as a reduction in revenue from services.

Allowance for Uncollectible Accounts Receivable The Company records an allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable based on historical loss experience, customer payment patterns and current economic trends. The reserve for sales allowances, as discussed above, is also included in the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable. The Company reviews the adequacy of the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable on a quarterly basis and, if necessary, increases or decreases the balance by recording a charge or credit to SG&A expenses for the portion of the adjustment relating to uncollectible accounts receivable, and a charge or credit to revenue from services for the portion of the adjustment relating to sales allowances.

Cost of Services Cost of services are those costs directly associated with the earning of revenue. The primary examples of these types of costs are temporary employee wages, along with associated payroll taxes, temporary employee benefits, such as service bonus and holiday pay, and workers’ compensation costs. These costs differ fundamentally from SG&A expenses in that they arise specifically from the action of providing our services to customers whereas SG&A costs are incurred regardless of whether or not we place temporary employees with our customers.

Advertising Expenses Advertising expenses, which are expensed as incurred and are included in SG&A expenses, were $7.6 million in 2015, $9.7 million in 2014 and $8.9 million in 2013.

Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Estimates are used for, but not limited to, the accounting for the allowance for uncollectible accounts receivable, workers’ compensation, goodwill and long-lived asset impairment, litigation costs and income taxes. Actual results could differ materially from those estimates.

Cash and Equivalents Cash and equivalents are stated at fair value. The Company considers securities with original maturities of three months or less to be cash and equivalents.

Property and Equipment Property and equipment are stated at cost and are depreciated on a straight-line basis over their estimated useful lives. Cost and estimated useful lives of property and equipment by function are as follows:



Category	2015		2014		Life
	(In millions of dollars)
Land	$	3.8	$	3.8		—
Work in process	2.5		6.9			—
Buildings and improvements	60.2		59.7		15	to	45 years
Computer hardware and software	229.5		221.7		3	to	12 years
Equipment, furniture and fixtures	34.0		34.1			5	years
Leasehold improvements	31.8		33.8		The lesser of the life of the lease or 5 years.
Total property and equipment	$	361.8	$	360.0

The Company capitalizes external costs and internal payroll costs directly incurred in the development of software for internal use as required by the Internal-Use Software Subtopic of the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). Work in process represents capitalized costs for internal use software not yet in service. Depreciation expense was $21.4 million for 2015, $20.3 million for 2014 and $18.4 million for 2013.

Operating Leases The Company recognizes rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term. This includes the impact of both scheduled rent increases and free or reduced rents (commonly referred to as “rent holidays”). The Company records allowances provided by landlords for leasehold improvements as deferred rent in the consolidated balance sheet and as operating cash flows in the consolidated statements of cash flows.

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired. Purchased intangible assets with definite lives are recorded at estimated fair value at the date of acquisition and are amortized over their respective useful lives (from 3 to 15 years) on a straight-line basis or, if appropriate, on an accelerated basis commensurate with the related cash flows.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets, Goodwill and Intangible Assets The Company evaluates long-lived assets and intangible assets with definite lives for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. When estimated undiscounted future cash flows will not be sufficient to recover the asset group’s carrying amount, in which the long-lived asset being tested for impairment resides, the asset is written down to its estimated fair value. Assets to be disposed of by sale, if any, are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or estimated fair value less cost to sell.

We test goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level annually and whenever events or circumstances make it more likely than not that an impairment may have occurred. We have determined that our reporting units are the same as our operating and reportable segments based on our organizational structure and the financial information that is provided to and reviewed by the chief operating decision makers (“CODM”). We may use a qualitative assessment for one or more reporting units for the annual goodwill impairment test if we have determined that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit(s) is more than their carrying value.

For reporting units where the qualitative assessment is not used, goodwill is tested for impairment using a two-step process. In the first step, the estimated fair value of a reporting unit is compared to its carrying value. If the estimated fair value of a reporting unit exceeds the carrying value of the net assets assigned to a reporting unit, goodwill is not considered impaired and no further testing is required.

If the carrying value of the net assets assigned to a reporting unit exceeds the estimated fair value of a reporting unit, a second step of the impairment test is performed in order to determine the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill. If the carrying value of a reporting unit’s goodwill exceeds its implied fair value, goodwill is deemed impaired and is written down to the extent of the difference.

Accounts Payable Included in accounts payable are outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit. Such amounts totaled $4.4 million and $28.7 million at year-end 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Accrued Payroll and Related Taxes Included in accrued payroll and related taxes are outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit. Such amounts totaled $4.9 million and $6.7 million at year-end 2015 and 2014, respectively. Payroll taxes for temporary employees are recognized proportionately to direct wages for interim periods based on expected full-year amounts.

Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using the liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected tax consequences of temporary differences between the tax bases of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts. Valuation allowances are provided against deferred tax assets when it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax asset will not be realized.

The U.S. work opportunity credit is allowed for wages earned by employees in certain targeted groups. The actual amount of creditable wages in a particular period is estimated, since the credit is only available once an employee reaches a minimum employment period and the employee’s inclusion in a targeted group is certified by the applicable state. As these events often occur after the period the wages are earned, judgment is required in determining the amount of work opportunity credits accrued for in each period. We evaluate the accrual regularly throughout the year and make adjustments as needed.

Uncertain tax positions that are taken or expected to be taken in a tax return are recognized in the financial statements when it is more likely than not (i.e., a likelihood of more than fifty percent) that the position would be sustained upon examination by tax authorities that have full knowledge of all relevant information. A recognized tax position is then measured at the largest amount of benefit that is greater than fifty percent likely of being realized upon ultimate settlement.

Interest and penalties related to income taxes are accounted for as income tax expense.

Stock-Based Compensation The Company may grant restricted stock awards and units (collectively, “restricted stock”), stock options (both incentive and nonqualified), stock appreciation rights and performance awards to key employees associated with the Company’s Class A stock. The Company utilizes the market price on the date of grant as the fair value for restricted stock and the market price on the date of grant less the present value of the expected dividends not received during the vesting period for performance awards. The Company also estimates a fair value of performance awards related to relative total shareholder return using a Monte Carlo simulation model. The Company estimates the fair value of stock option awards on the date of grant using an option-pricing model. The value of awards that are ultimately expected to vest is recognized as expense over the requisite service periods in SG&A expense in the Company’s consolidated statements of earnings.

Earnings Per Share Restricted stock that entitle their holders to receive nonforfeitable dividends before vesting are considered participating securities and, therefore, are included in the calculation of earnings per share using the two-class method. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for each class of common stock and participating security according to dividends declared and participation rights in undistributed earnings. Under this method, earnings from continuing operations (or net earnings) is reduced by the amount of dividends declared, and the remaining undistributed earnings is allocated to common stock and participating securities based on the proportion of each class’s weighted average shares outstanding to the total weighted average shares outstanding. The calculation of diluted earnings per share includes the effect of potential common shares outstanding in the average weighted shares outstanding.

Workers’ Compensation The Company establishes accruals for workers’ compensation claims utilizing actuarial methods to estimate the undiscounted future cash payments that will be made to satisfy the claims. The estimates are based both on historical experience as well as current legal, economic and regulatory factors. When claims exceed the applicable loss limit or self-insured retention and realization of recovery of the claim from existing insurance policies is deemed probable, the Company records a receivable from the insurance company for the excess amount. The receivable is included in prepaid expenses and other current assets and other assets in the consolidated balance sheet at year end. The Company regularly updates its estimates, and the ultimate cost of these claims may be greater than or less than the established accrual.