BENEFIT PLANS

The Company is required to provide its employees located in Switzerland, Mexico, France, and Germany certain statutorily mandated defined benefits. Under these plans, benefits accrue to employees based upon years of service, position, age and compensation. The defined benefit pension plan provided to the Company’s employees located in Switzerland is a funded contributory plan, while the plans that provide benefits to the Company’s employees located in Mexico, France, and Germany are unfunded and noncontributory. The liability and corresponding expense related to these benefit plans is based on actuarial computations of current and future benefits for employees.

The change in net defined benefit plan liability is as follows (in thousands):



December 30, 2016	$	7,556
Net defined benefit cost	161
Benefit payments	(45		)
Foreign currency translation	242
March 31, 2017	$	7,914

Net defined benefit cost is comprised of the following (in thousands):



	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2017			April 1, 2016
Service cost	$	110		$	108
Interest cost	38			43
Amortization of net loss	17			46
Expected return on plan assets	(4		)	(5		)
Net defined benefit cost	$	161		$	192