Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 30, 2018

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans

21.  Employee Benefit Plans

We have established the Papa John’s International, Inc. 401(k) Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), as a defined contribution benefit plan, in accordance with Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The 401(k) Plan is open to employees who meet certain eligibility requirements and allows participating employees to defer receipt of a portion of their compensation and contribute such amount to one or more investment funds. At our discretion, we may make matching contribution payments, which are subject to vesting based on an employee’s length of service with us.

In addition, we maintain a non-qualified deferred compensation plan available to certain employees and directors. Under this plan, the participants may defer a certain amount of their compensation, which is credited to the participants’ accounts. The participant-directed investments associated with this plan are included in other long-term assets ($27.8 million and $28.6 million at December 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively) and the associated liabilities ($27.8 million and $28.7 million at December 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017, respectively) are included in other long-term liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets.

At our discretion, we contributed a matching payment of 1.5% in 2018 and 3% in 2017 and 2016, up to a maximum of 6% deferred, in 2018, 2017 and 2016, of a participating employee’s earnings deferred into both the 401(k) Plan and the non-qualified deferred compensation plan. Such costs were $1.1 million in 2018, $2.3 million in 2017 and $2.6 million in 2016.