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Employee Separation / Asset Related Charges, Net
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015
Restructuring Charges [Abstract]  
Employee Separation / Asset Related Charges, Net
EMPLOYEE SEPARATION/ASSET RELATED CHARGES, NET
2016 Global Cost Savings and Restructuring Program
In December 2015, DuPont committed to take structural actions across all businesses and staff functions globally to operate more efficiently by further consolidating businesses and aligning staff functions more closely with them as part of a 2016 global cost savings and restructuring plan.

As a result, during the year ended December 31, 2015, a pre-tax charge of $798 was recorded, consisting of $793 of employee separation / asset related charges, net and $5 in other income, net. The charges consisted of $656 in severance and related benefit costs, $109 in asset related charges, and $33 in contract termination charges. The restructuring actions associated with this charge are expected to impact approximately 10 percent of DuPont’s workforce and to be substantially complete in 2016. The company anticipates additional charges could occur in relation to the restructuring actions, which it cannot reasonably estimate at this time.

The restructuring program charges related to the segments, as follows, for the year ended December 31, 2015: Agriculture - $161, Electronics & Communications - $93, Industrial Biosciences - $51, Nutrition & Health - $47, Performance Materials - $61, Safety & Protection - $53, Other - $2, as well as Corporate expenses - $330.

At December 31, 2015, total liabilities related to the restructuring program were $680.

Account balances and activity for the restructuring program are summarized below:
 
Severance and Related Benefit Costs
Asset
Related Charges
Other Non-Personnel Charges1
Total
Charges to income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2015
$
656

$
109

$
33

$
798

Charges to accounts:
 
 
 
 
Payments
(2
)

(1
)
(3
)
Asset write-offs and adjustments
(6
)
(109
)

(115
)
Balance at December 31, 2015
$
648

$

$
32

$
680


1.     Other non-personnel charges consist of contractual obligation costs.

2014 Restructuring Program
In June 2014, DuPont announced its global, multi-year initiative to redesign its global organization and operating model to reduce costs and improve productivity and agility across all businesses and functions. DuPont commenced a restructuring plan to realign and rebalance staff function support, enhance operational efficiency, and to reduce residual costs associated with the separation of its Performance Chemicals segment. 

During the year ended December 31, 2015, a net benefit of $(21) was recorded to adjust the estimated costs associated with the 2014 restructuring program in employee separation / asset related charges, net in the company's Consolidated Income Statements. This was primarily due to lower than estimated individual severance costs and workforce reductions achieved through non-severance programs, offset by the identification of additional projects in certain segments. The adjustments related to the segments for the year ended December 31, 2015 as follows: Agriculture - $3, Electronics & Communications - $(15), Industrial Biosciences - $1, Nutrition & Health - $3, Performance Materials - $1, Safety & Protection - $(4), Other - $1, as well as Corporate expenses $(11).

During the year ended December 31, 2014 a pre-tax charge of $541 was recorded, consisting of $476 in employee separation / asset related charges, net and $65 in other income, net in the company's Consolidated Income Statements. The charges consisted of $301 of severance and related benefit costs, $17 of other non-personnel charges, and $223 of asset related charges, including $65 of charges associated with the restructuring actions of a joint venture within the Performance Materials segment.

The 2014 restructuring program charges related to the segments, as follows, for the year ended December 31, 2014: Agriculture - $134, Electronics & Communications -$84, Industrial Biosciences - $13, Nutrition & Health - $15, Performance Materials - $99, Safety & Protection - $52, Other - $10, as well as Corporate expenses - $134.

At December 31, 2015, total liabilities related to the 2014 restructuring program were $78. The actions associated with this charge and all related payments are substantially complete.

Account balances and activity for the 2014 restructuring program are summarized below:
 
Severance and Related Benefit Costs
Asset
Related Charges
Other Non-Personnel Charges1
Total2
Charges to income from continuing operations for the year ended December 31, 2014
$
301

$
223

$
17

$
541

Charges to accounts:
 
 
 
 
Payments
(43
)

(13
)
(56
)
Net translation adjustment
(6
)


(6
)
Asset write-offs and adjustments

(223
)

(223
)
Balance at December 31, 2014
$
252

$

$
4

$
256

Payments
(152
)

(2
)
(154
)
Net translation adjustment
(3
)


(3
)
Other adjustments
(21
)


(21
)
Balance at December 31, 2015
$
76

$

$
2

$
78


1.  
Other non-personnel charges consist of contractual obligation costs.
2. 
Table above excludes activity related to Performance Chemicals, presented as a discontinued operation in the company's Consolidated Income Statement. During 2014, the company recorded a charge of $21 related to Performance Chemicals, of which the company made payments of $13 prior to separation and transferred a liability of $2 to Chemours at separation on July 1, 2015.

Asset Impairments
During the first quarter 2015, a $38 pre-tax impairment charge was recorded in employee separation / asset related charges, net within the Other segment in the company's Consolidated Income Statements. The majority relates to a cost basis investment in which the assessment resulted from the venture's revised operating plan reflecting underperformance of its European wheat based ethanol facility and deteriorating European ethanol market conditions. One of the primary investors communicated that they would not fund the revised operating plan of the investee. As a result, the carrying value of DuPont's 6 percent cost basis investment in this venture exceeds its fair value by $37, such that an impairment charge was recorded.

In the fourth quarter 2013, as a result of strategic decisions related to the thin film photovoltaic market, the company determined that impairment triggering events had occurred and that assessments of the asset group related to its thin film photovoltaic modules and systems were warranted. These assessments determined that the carrying value of the asset group exceeded its fair value. As a result of the impairment tests, $129 of pre-tax impairment charges were recorded during 2013 within the Electronics & Communications segment.