Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2018

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans

10. Employee Benefit Plans

We and certain of our subsidiaries sponsor various retirement plans for most full‑time and some part‑time employees. These plans primarily consist of defined contribution plans. The defined contribution plans generally provide for contributions up to 2.5% of covered employees’ salaries or wages. These contributions totaled $10.8 million in 2018,  $7.8 million in 2017 and $7.8 million in 2016. Of these amounts, approximately $0.2 million and $0.5 million were payable to the plans at December 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

Certain of our subsidiaries also participate or have participated in various multi‑employer pension plans for the benefit of employees who are union members. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, we had 6 and 6, respectively, who were union members. There were no contributions made to multi‑employer pension plans in 2018,  2017 or 2016. The data available from administrators of other multi‑employer pension plans is not sufficient to determine the accumulated benefit obligations, nor the net assets attributable to the multi‑employer plans in which our employees participate or previously participated.

Certain individuals at one of our operating units are entitled to receive fixed annual payments that reach a maximum amount, as specified in the related agreements, for a 15 year period following retirement or, in some cases, the attainment of 65 years of age. We recognize the unfunded status of the plan as a non‑current liability in our Consolidated Balance Sheet. Benefits vest 50% after ten years of service, 75% after fifteen years of service and are fully vested after 20 years of service. We had an unfunded benefit liability of $4.3 million and $4.0 million recorded as of December 31, 2018 and 2017.