Business Restructuring Charges

12 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2020

Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]

In connection with the Company's 2018 acquisition of Bard, the 2015 acquisition of CareFusion and portfolio rationalization initiatives, the Company incurred restructuring costs which were largely recorded within Acquisitions and other restructurings on its consolidated statements of income. Restructuring liability activity in 2020, 2019 and 2018 was as follows:


	Employee Termination				Other				Total
(Millions of dollars)	Bard		Other Initiatives (a)		Bard (b)		Other Initiatives (a)		Bard		Other Initiatives (a)
Balance at September 30, 2017	$	—	$	49	$	—	$	6	$	—	$	55
Charged to expense	136		30		156		22		292		52
Cash payments	(103)		(56)		(3)		(23)		(106)		(79)
Non-cash settlements	—		—		(153)		(1)		(153)		(1)

Balance at September 30, 2018	$	33	$	23	$	—	$	4	$	33	$	27
Charged to expense	23		29		95		33		118		62
Cash payments	(34)		(21)		(5)		(31)		(39)		(52)
Non-cash settlements	—		—		(89)		(3)		(89)		(3)

Balance at September 30, 2019	$	22	$	31	$	1	$	3	$	23	$	34
Charged to expense	7		13		42		33		49		46
Cash payments	(14)		(27)		(18)		(31)		(32)		(58)
Non-cash settlements	—		—		(24)		(2)		(24)		(2)

Balance at September 30, 2020	$	15	$	17	$	1	$	3	$	16	$	20

(a)Restructuring costs in 2020 primarily related to simplification and other cost saving initiatives implemented in fiscal 2020, while 2019 and 2018 included expenses related to the Company's acquisition of CareFusion in fiscal year 2015 and other initiatives.

(b)Expenses in 2020, 2019 and 2018 largely represented the costs associated with the conversion of certain pre-acquisition equity awards of Bard which, to encourage post-acquisition employee retention, were converted to BD equity awards with substantially the same terms and conditions as were applicable under such Bard awards immediately prior to the acquisition date. Expenses in 2018 also included costs relating to Bard’s pension plan, partially offset by a gain on the sale of the Company's soft tissue core needle biopsy product line recorded in fiscal year 2018.