The Company’s stock-based compensation plans include the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2011 Plan”) for employees and certain non-employees, the Non-Employee Director Fee Plan for non-employee directors and the Deferred Compensation Plan for certain eligible employees. Stock-based award under these plans may consist of common stock, stock options, cash-settled or stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock and other stock-based awards. The Company issues stock and uses treasury stock to satisfy stock option exercises or vesting stock awards. The methods and assumptions used in the determination of the fair value of stock-based awards are consistent with those described in the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

The following table summarizes the stock-based compensation expense (primarily in the Americas) and income tax benefits related to the stock-based compensation, both plan and non-plan related (in thousands):

	Three Months Ended March 31,
	2019			2018
Stock-based compensation (expense) ⁽¹⁾	$	(1,890	)	$	(2,077	)
Income tax benefit ⁽²⁾		454			498

(1) Included in "General and administrative" costs in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

(2) Included in "Income taxes" in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.

During the three months ended March 31, 2019, the Company granted 338,732 performance-based restricted shares and 169,367 employment-based restricted stock units under the Company’s 2011 Plan, all at a weighted average grant-date fair value of $28.43 per share.