XML 33 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v3.22.4
Employee Benefits
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2022
Employee Benefits  
Employee Benefits

Note 9 − Employee Benefits

Seaboard has qualified defined benefit pension plans for its domestic salaried and clerical employees that were hired before January 1, 2014. Benefits are generally based upon the number of years of service and a percentage of final average pay. Seaboard did not make any contributions in 2022, 2021 and 2020 and currently does not plan on making any contributions in 2023 to qualified plans.

Seaboard also sponsors non-qualified, unfunded supplemental executive plans. Management has no plans to provide funding for these supplemental executive plans in advance of when the benefits are paid.

Pursuant to Seaboard’s investment policies for qualified pension plans, assets are invested to achieve a diversified target allocation of approximately 80% in equities and 20% in fixed-income securities. The investment strategy is periodically reviewed by management for adherence to policy and performance.

The following tables show the qualified plans’ assets measured at estimated fair value as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and the level within the fair value hierarchy used to measure each category of assets:

December 31,

(Millions of dollars)

2022

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Assets:

Domestic equity securities

$

84

$

84

$

$

Foreign equity securities

 

60

 

60

 

 

Domestic fixed income mutual funds

26

26

Foreign fixed income mutual funds

 

11

11

 

Money market funds

 

1

 

1

 

Total assets

$

182

$

182

$

$

December 31,

(Millions of dollars)

2021

Level 1

Level 2

Level 3

Assets:

Domestic equity securities

$

113

$

113

$

$

Foreign equity securities

 

71

 

71

 

 

Domestic fixed income mutual funds

 

29

 

29

 

 

Foreign fixed income mutual funds

 

12

 

12

 

 

Money market funds

 

2

 

2

 

 

Total assets

$

227

$

227

$

$

Assumptions used in determining pension information for the qualified and nonqualified plans were:

Years ended December 31,

 

    

2022

2021

    

2020

 

Weighted average assumptions:

Discount rate used to determine obligations

5.30

-

5.40

%  

1.20

-

2.90

%  

0.70

-

2.60

%

Discount rate used to determine net periodic benefit cost

1.20

-

2.90

%  

0.70

-

2.60

%  

2.15

-

3.50

%

Expected return on plan assets

6.25

%  

6.25

%  

6.25

%

Long-term rate of increase in compensation levels

4.00

%  

4.00

%  

4.00

%

Management selected the discount rates based on a model-based result where the timing and amount of cash flows approximates the estimated payouts. The expected return on the qualified plans’ assets assumption is based on the weighted average of asset class expected returns that are consistent with the qualified plans’ asset allocation and related long-term projected returns.

The aggregate changes in the benefit obligation and fair value of assets for the qualified and nonqualified plans and the funded status were as follows:

December 31,

    

2022

2021

    

(Millions of dollars)

Accumulated benefits exceed assets

Accumulated benefits exceed assets

Reconciliation of benefit obligation:

Benefit obligation at beginning of year

$

362

$

379

Service cost

 

9

 

10

Interest cost

 

10

 

9

Actuarial gains

 

(97)

 

(10)

Plan settlements

(19)

Benefits paid

 

(8)

 

(7)

Benefit obligation at end of year

$

276

$

362

Reconciliation of fair value of plan assets:

Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year

$

227

$

206

Actual return on plan assets

 

(38)

 

27

Employer contributions

 

1

 

20

Plan settlements

(19)

Benefits paid

 

(8)

 

(7)

Fair value of plan assets at end of year

$

182

$

227

Funded status

$

(94)

$

(135)

The benefit obligation decreased primarily due to higher discount rates. The accumulated benefit obligation for the qualified and nonqualified plans was $247 million and $319 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Expected future benefit payments for the qualified and nonqualified plans during each of the next five years and the next five years thereafter were as follows: $44 million, $17 million, $11 million, $15 million, $14 million and $78 million, respectively.

The net periodic benefit cost of these plans was as follows:

 

Years ended December 31,

(Millions of dollars)

    

 

2022

    

2021

    

2020

Components of net periodic benefit cost:

Service cost

$

9

$

10

$

9

Interest cost

 

10

 

9

 

11

Expected return on plan assets

 

(14)

 

(12)

 

(11)

Amortization

 

6

 

9

 

7

Settlement loss recognized

6

11

Net periodic benefit cost

$

11

$

22

$

27

The amounts not reflected in net periodic benefit cost and included in accumulated other comprehensive loss before taxes as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $21 million and $71 million, respectively. Such amounts primarily represent the cumulative unrecognized net actuarial gains and losses that are generally amortized over the average remaining working lifetime of the active participants for all of these plans.

Seaboard has defined contribution retirement programs for various groups of employees. Contribution expense for these programs was $9 million, $4 million and $4 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The increase in costs in 2022 was primarily due to match changes for a production plan and an increase in the rate of matching contributions for another plan.

Seaboard has deferred compensation plans that allow certain employees to reduce their compensation in exchange for values in various investments. One plan requires certain individuals to defer compensation over a specific threshold and another plan, which no longer allows contributions, has options that are exercisable. In conjunction with these plans, Seaboard purchases investments that are classified as trading securities and included in other current assets, and recognizes the amount payable to employees in other current liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets. Investments for Seaboard’s deferred compensation plans were $26 million and $29 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The

amount payable to employees was $23 million and $26 million as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Deferred compensation plan costs recognized in selling, general and administrative expenses are offset by the effect of the marked-to-market adjustments on investments recorded in other investment income (loss).