Compensation Related Costs, Retirement Benefits (Policies)

12 Months Ended

Jul. 28, 2024

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Policy

Pension Benefits — We sponsor a number of noncontributory defined benefit pension plans to provide retirement benefits to eligible U.S. and non-U.S. employees. The benefits provided under these plans are based primarily on years of service and compensation levels. Benefits are paid from funds previously provided to trustees or are paid directly by us from general funds. In 1999, we implemented significant amendments to certain U.S. pension plans. Under a new formula, retirement benefits are determined based on percentages of annual pay and age. To minimize the impact of converting to the new formula, service and earnings credit continued to accrue for fifteen years for certain active employees participating in the plans under the old formula prior to the amendments. Employees will receive the benefit from either the new or old formula, whichever is higher. Effective as of January 1, 2011, our U.S. pension plans were amended so that employees hired or rehired on or after that date and who are not covered by collective bargaining agreements will not be eligible to participate in the plans. All collective bargaining units adopted this amendment by December 31, 2011.

In June 2023, we settled $245 million of our pension benefit obligations associated with approximately 6,000 retired participants that were receiving benefits within our U.S. defined benefit pension plans. A group annuity contract was purchased on behalf of these participants with a third-party insurance provider and funded directly by $241 million from the assets of our pension plans, resulting in an actuarial gain of $4 million.

Postretirement Benefits — We provide postretirement benefits, including health care and life insurance to eligible retired U.S. employees, and where applicable, their dependents. Accordingly, we sponsor a retiree medical program for eligible retired U.S. employees and fund applicable retiree medical accounts intended to provide reimbursement for eligible health care expenses on a tax-favored basis for retirees who satisfy certain eligibility requirements. Effective as of January 1, 2019, we no longer sponsor our own retiree medical coverage for substantially all retired U.S. employees that are Medicare eligible. Instead, we offer these Medicare-eligible retirees access to health care coverage through a private exchange and offer a health reimbursement account to subsidize benefits for a select group of such retirees. We also provide postretirement life insurance to all eligible U.S. employees who retired prior to January 1, 2018, as well as certain eligible retired employees covered by one of our collective bargaining agreements who retired prior to January 1, 2023.

Determining net periodic benefit expense (income) is dependent on various actuarial assumptions, including discount rates, expected return on plan assets, compensation increases, turnover rates and health care trend rates. Actuarial gains and losses are recognized immediately in Other expenses / (income) in the Consolidated Statements of Earnings as of the measurement date, which is our fiscal year end, or more frequently if an interim remeasurement is required. We use the fair value of plan assets to calculate the expected return on plan assets.