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Restructuring (Note)
 12 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2014
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]  
Restructuring
RESTRUCTURING
On February 5, 2014, the Company's Board of Directors (the “Board”) endorsed a global productivity initiative designed to streamline operations and fuel long-term profitable growth. On March 26, 2014, the Company announced and began to implement the global productivity initiative, which will continue to be implemented through the end of 2015, with a focus on redesigning business processes and identifying opportunities to reduce costs, increase efficiencies and further streamline processes in supporting functions and supply chain.
The first phase of the global productivity initiative included the elimination of approximately 800 positions within the Company’s global non-retail and non-manufacturing employee population, as well as initiating centrally-led cost-savings and productivity projects. The role eliminations reflect a reduction of management layers, an increase in spans of control, the removal of duplicative roles, a regrouping of country clusters and other structural changes. The elimination of positions in connection with this phase was completed during the last three fiscal quarters of 2014.
The next phase of the global productivity initiative, announced in November 2014, included the elimination of approximately 500 positions, primarily reflecting the outsourcing of certain global business service activities within information technology, finance, human resources, customer service and customer relations functions, as well as a further reduction of the non-manufacturing employee population. The Company anticipates the elimination of these positions will be substantially completed in the U.S. within the second half of fiscal 2015 to accommodate the transition of outsourced services. Final estimates for headcount, timing and charges in certain areas of the international business are subject to completion of applicable local works council and other consultative processes.
For the year ended November 30, 2014, the Company recognized restructuring charges, net, of $128.4 million, which was recorded in "Restructuring, net" in the Company's consolidated statements of income. Related charges of $27.6 million for the year ended November 30, 2014, consist primarily of consulting fees for the Company's centrally-led cost-savings and productivity projects. These related charges represent costs incurred associated with ongoing operations to benefit future periods and were recorded in "Selling, general and administrative expenses" in the Company's consolidated statements of income. Cash payments for charges recognized to date were made primarily in 2014 and are expected to continue through the first half of 2016.
The table below summarizes the components of charges included in “Restructuring, net” in the Company’s consolidated statements of income:
 
Year Ended
 
November 30,
2014
 
November 24,
2013
 
(Dollars in thousands)
Restructuring, net:
 
 
 
Severance and employee-related benefits(1)
$
104,398

 
$
—

Adjustments to severance and employee-related benefits
(5,697
)
 
—

Lease and other contract termination costs
—

 
—

Other(2)
25,027

 
—

Adjustments to other
1,350

 
—

Noncash pension and postretirement curtailment losses, net(3)
3,347

 
—

Total
$
128,425

 
$
—

_____________

(1)
Severance and employee-related benefits relate to items such as severance, based on separation benefits provided by Company policy or statutory benefit plans, out-placement services and career counseling for employees affected by the global productivity initiative.

(2)
Other restructuring costs are expensed as incurred and primarily relate to consulting fees and legal expenses associated with the execution of the restructuring initiative.

(3)
Noncash pension and postretirement curtailment gains or losses resulting from the global productivity initiative are included in restructuring charges, with the associated liabilities included in "Pension liability" and "Postretirement medical benefits" in the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
The Company is unable at this time to make a good faith determination of cost estimates, or ranges of cost estimates, for additional actions associated with the global productivity initiative.
The following table summarizes the activities associated with restructuring liabilities for the year ended November 30, 2014. In the table below, "Charges" represents the initial charge related to the restructuring activity. "Adjustments" includes revisions of estimates related to severance, employee-related benefits, lease and other contract termination costs, and other restructuring costs. "Payments" consists of cash payments for severance, employee-related benefits, lease and other contract termination costs, and other restructuring costs.
 
Year Ended November 30, 2014
 
Liabilities
 
 
 
Adjustments
 
 
 
Foreign Currency Fluctuation
 
Liabilities
 
November 24, 2013
 
Charges
 
 
Payments
 
 
November 30, 2014
 
(Dollars in thousands)
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Severance and employee-related benefits
$
—

 
$
104,398

 
$
(5,697
)
 
$
(38,527
)
 
$
(3,211
)
 
$
56,963

Lease and other contract termination costs
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

 
—

Other
—

 
25,027

 
1,350

 
(19,977
)
 
—

 
6,400

Total
$
—

 
$
129,425

 
$
(4,347
)
 
$
(58,504
)
 
$
(3,211
)
 
$
63,363

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Current portion
$
—

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
57,817

Long-term portion
—

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
5,546

Total
$
—

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$
63,363