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Postretirement Plans
4 Months Ended
Apr. 18, 2020
Compensation And Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]  
Postretirement Plans

17. POSTRETIREMENT PLANS

The following summarizes the company’s balance sheet related pension and other postretirement benefit plan accounts at April 18, 2020 compared to accounts at December 28, 2019 (amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

April 18, 2020

 

 

December 28, 2019

 

Current liability

 

$

926

 

 

$

29,380

 

Noncurrent liability

 

$

14,344

 

 

$

14,328

 

Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax

 

$

4,112

 

 

$

107,678

 

 

Defined Benefit Plans and Nonqualified Plan

On September 28, 2018, the Board of Directors approved a resolution to terminate the Flowers Foods, Inc. Retirement Plan No. 1 (“Plan No. 1”), effective December 31, 2018.  During the third quarter of fiscal 2019, the company offered Plan No. 1 participants the option to receive an annuity purchased from an insurance carrier or a lump sum cash payment.  During the first quarter of fiscal 2020, the company transferred $6.4 million in cash to Plan No. 1 to ensure that sufficient assets were available for the lump sum payments and annuity purchases.  This was made up of a $1.4 million cash contribution and an unsecured, short-term, interest-free loan to Plan No. 1 of $5.0 million which has been fully reserved for and is expected to be unwound, at which time it will be converted to a contribution, by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2020.  Additionally, the company completed the transfer of all lump sum payments and transferred all remaining benefit obligations related to Plan No. 1 to a highly rated insurance company on March 4, 2020 in order to purchase a group annuity contract which began paying plan benefits on May 1, 2020.  The company recognized $116.2 million of non-cash pension termination charges, made up of a settlement charge of $111.9 million and a curtailment loss of $4.3 million, in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) during the first quarter of fiscal 2020. The company recognizes settlement accounting charges in years when lump sums paid during that year exceed the sum of the plan’s service and interest costs.  Settlement accounting accelerates recognition of a plan’s unrecognized net gain or loss.  There were no settlement charges recorded during the first quarter of fiscal 2019.

The company continues to sponsor two remaining pension plans, the Flowers Foods, Inc. Retirement Plan No. 2 (“Plan No. 2), and the Tasty Baking Company Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (“Tasty SERP”).  The Tasty SERP is frozen and has only retirees and beneficiaries remaining in the plan.  

The company used a measurement date of December 31, 2019 for the defined benefit and postretirement benefit plans described below.  

The company contributed $1.4 million during our first quarter of fiscal 2020 to Plan No. 1 in connection with the termination of Plan No. 1, as described above.  There were no contributions made by the company to any plan during the first quarter of fiscal 2019. We expect to contribute $2.5 million during the third quarter of fiscal 2020 to Plan No. 2.  

Additionally, in March 2020, the company provided a short-term, interest-free loan to Plan No. 1 of $5.0 million.  The loan has been fully reserved for and is expected to be unwound, at which time it will be converted to a contribution, by the end of the third quarter of fiscal 2020.  There was no net impact to either the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet or Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss) on April 18, 2020 as a result of the interest-free loan.  This loan provides Plan No. 1 with incremental liquidity to pay ongoing benefits and administrative costs. The entire principal amount of this loan is due by December 31, 2020. The loan is unsecured, and the company has no recourse against Plan No. 1 to demand prepayment.

The net periodic pension cost for the company’s plans include the following components (amounts in thousands):

 

 

 

For the Sixteen Weeks Ended

 

 

 

April 18, 2020

 

 

April 20, 2019

 

Service cost

 

$

265

 

 

$

216

 

Interest cost

 

 

1,423

 

 

 

3,671

 

Expected return on plan assets

 

 

(2,689

)

 

 

(5,276

)

Settlement and curtailment loss

 

 

116,207

 

 

 

 

Amortization of prior service cost

 

 

75

 

 

 

119

 

Amortization of net loss

 

 

1,367

 

 

 

2,184

 

Total net periodic pension cost

 

$

116,648

 

 

$

914

 

 

The components of net periodic benefit cost other than the service cost are included in the other components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefits expense line item on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).

Postretirement Benefit Plan

The company provides certain medical and life insurance benefits for eligible retired employees covered under the active medical plans. The plan incorporates an up-front deductible, coinsurance payments and retiree contributions at various premium levels. Eligibility and maximum period of coverage is based on age and length of service.

The net periodic postretirement expense for the company includes the following components (amounts in thousands):  

 

 

 

For the Sixteen Weeks Ended

 

 

 

April 18, 2020

 

 

April 20, 2019

 

Service cost

 

$

87

 

 

$

87

 

Interest cost

 

 

60

 

 

 

91

 

Amortization of prior service credit

 

 

(1

)

 

 

(13

)

Amortization of net gain

 

 

(92

)

 

 

(85

)

Total net periodic postretirement cost

 

$

54

 

 

$

80

 

 

The components of net periodic postretirement benefits cost other than the service cost are included in the other components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefits expense line item on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Loss).

401(k) Retirement Savings Plan

The Flowers Foods, Inc. 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan (“401(k) plan”) covers substantially all the company’s employees who have completed certain service requirements. During sixteen weeks ended April 18, 2020 and April 20, 2019 the total cost and employer contributions were $8.6 million and $8.5 million, respectively.