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	505
Benefit payments	(70		)
Foreign currency translation	927
September 29, 2017	$	8,918

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



	Three Months Ended						Nine Months Ended
	September 29, 2017			September 30, 2016			September 29, 2017			September 30, 2016
Service cost	$	120		$	108		$	345		$	326
Interest cost	42			44			120			132
Amortization of net loss	19			47			55			140
Expected return on plan assets	(5		)	(5		)	(15		)	(14		)
Net defined benefit cost	$	176		$	194		$	505		$	584