RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT PLANS

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2022

RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT PLANS

RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT PLANS

15.RETIREMENT AND POSTRETIREMENT PLANS

The Bank maintains two noncontributory pension plans that existed before the Merger: (i) the Retirement Plan of Dime Community Bank (“Employee Retirement Plan”) and (ii) the BNB Bank Pension Plan, covering all eligible employees.

Employee Retirement Plan

The Bank sponsors the Employee Retirement Plan, a tax-qualified, noncontributory, defined-benefit retirement plan. Prior to April 1, 2000, substantially all full-time employees of at least 21 years of age were eligible for participation after one year of service. Effective April 1, 2000, the Bank froze all participant benefits under the Employee Retirement Plan.

BNB Bank Pension Plan

During 2012, Bridge amended the BNB Bank Pension Plan by revising the formula for determining benefits effective January 1, 2013, except for certain grandfathered Bridge employees. Additionally, new Bridge employees hired on or after October 1, 2012 were not eligible for the BNB Bank Pension Plan.

The following table represents the components of net periodic benefit (credit) cost included in other non-interest expense, except for service cost which is reported in salaries and employee benefits expense, in the consolidated statements of income. Net expenses associated with these plans were comprised of the following components:

	Three Months Ended June 30,
		2022			2021
	BNB Bank		Employee		BNB Bank		Employee
(In thousands)	Pension Plan		Retirement Plan		Pension Plan		Retirement Plan
Service cost	$	267	$	—	$	223	$	—
Interest cost		195		155		303		183
Expected return on assets		(857)		(490)		(1,245)		(428)
Amortization of unrealized loss		—		63		206		229
Net periodic credit	$	(395)	$	(272)	$	(513)	$	(16)

	Six Months Ended June 30,
	2022				2021
	BNB Bank		Employee		BNB Bank		Employee
(In thousands)	Pension Plan		Retirement Plan		Pension Plan		Retirement Plan
Service cost	$	535	$	—	$	371	$	—
Interest cost		390		310		552		366
Expected return on assets		(1,715)		(980)		(2,229)		(856)
Amortization of unrealized loss		—		125		412		458
Net periodic credit	$	(790)	$	(545)	$	(894)	$	(32)

There were no contributions to the BNB Bank Pension Plan or the Employee Retirement Plan for the six months ended June 30, 2022.

401(k) Plan

The Company maintains a 401(k) Plan (the “401(k) Plan”) that existed before the Merger. The 401(k) Plan covers substantially all current employees. Legacy Dime employees that continued to be employed following the Merger Date, that met eligibility requirements, were automatically enrolled in the plan unless they elected not to participate. Newly hired employees are automatically enrolled in the plan on the first day of the month following the 60^th day of employment, unless they elect not to participate. Participants may contribute a portion of their pre-tax base salary, generally not to exceed $20,500 for the calendar year ended December 31, 2022. Under the provisions of the 401(k) Plan, employee contributions are partially matched by the Bank as follows: 100% of each employee’s contributions up to 1% of each employee’s

compensation plus 50% of each employee’s contributions over 1% but not in excess of 6% of each employee’s compensation for a maximum contribution of 3.5% of a participating employee’s compensation. Participants can invest their account balances into several investment alternatives. The 401(k) Plan does not allow for investment in the Company’s common stock. Legacy Dime employees were allowed to rollover Company common stock shares in-kind held in the former Dime Community Bank KSOP Plan (“Dime KSOP Plan”) and hold in the 401(k) Plan. The 401(k) Plan held Company common stock within the accounts of participants totaling $8.0 million at June 30, 2022. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2022, total expense recognized as a component of salaries and employee benefits expense for the 401(k) Plan was $530 thousand and $1.3 million, respectively. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, total expense recognized as a component of salaries and employee benefits expense for the 401(k) Plan was $609 thousand and $1.3 million, respectively.

Dime KSOP Plan

The Dime Community Bank KSOP Plan (“Dime KSOP Plan”) was terminated by resolution of the Legacy Dime Board of Directors.  The effective date of the Dime KSOP Plan termination was February 1, 2021, the date of the Merger. As such, all participants were required to transfer their assets out of the Dime KSOP Plan. During the three and six months ended June 30, 2021, no expense was recognized for the Dime KSOP Plan.

BMP and Outside Director Retirement Plan

The Holding Company and Bank maintained the BMP, which existed in order to compensate executive officers for any curtailments in benefits due to statutory limitations on benefit plans. Benefit accruals under the defined benefit portion of the BMP were suspended on April 1, 2000, when they were suspended under the Employee Retirement Plan.

Effective July 1, 1996, the Company established the Outside Director Retirement Plan to provide benefits to each eligible outside director commencing upon the earlier of termination of Board service or at age 75. The Outside Director Retirement Plan was frozen on March 31, 2005, and only outside directors serving prior to that date are eligible for benefits.

In connection with the Merger, the Outside Director Retirement Plan and the BMP were terminated resulting in lump sum payments to the participants in the amounts of $2.8 million for the Outside Director Retirement Plan and $6.2 million for the BMP. The total expense recognized as a curtailment loss during the three months ended March 31, 2021 was $1.5 million.