RETIREMENT PLANS

Defined Contribution Plans

We have a Savings Plus Plan (the "Plan") that is a 401(k) plan that allows our U.S. employees to accumulate savings on a pre-tax basis. In addition, matching contributions are made to the Plan based upon pre-established rates. Our matching contributions amounted to approximately $5.4 million, $5.8 million, and $6.2 million in fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively. Upon Board approval, additional discretionary contributions can also be made. No discretionary contributions were made for the Plan in fiscal 2016, 2015, or 2014.

Some of our subsidiaries also have defined contribution plans, to which both the employee and the employer make contributions. The employer contributions to these plans totaled $0.8 million, $1.0 million, and $0.8 million in fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014, respectively.

Defined Benefit Plans

ASC Topic 715, Compensation — Retirement Benefits, requires an employer to: (a) recognize in its statement of financial position an asset for a plan’s over-funded status or a liability for a plan’s under-funded status; (b) measure a plan’s assets and its obligations that determine its funded status as of the end of the employer’s fiscal year (with limited exceptions); and (c) recognize changes in the funded status of a defined benefit post retirement plan in the year in which the changes occur. Accordingly, the Company is required to report changes in its funded status in comprehensive (loss) income on its Statement of Stockholders’ Equity and Comprehensive (Loss) Income.

Benefits under these plans are generally based on either career average or final average salaries and creditable years of service as defined in the plans. The annual cost for these plans is determined using the projected unit credit actuarial cost method that includes actuarial assumptions and estimates which are subject to change.

Some of the our foreign subsidiaries have defined benefit pension plans covering substantially all full time employees at those subsidiaries. Net periodic benefit costs for the plans in the aggregate include the following components:



(In thousands)	2016			2015			2014
Service cost	$	3,560		$	2,979		$	3,351
Interest cost on benefit obligation	371			686			623
Expected (return)/loss on plan assets	(330		)	(449		)	(435		)
Actuarial loss/(gain)	598			107			88
Amortization of unrecognized prior service cost	(38		)	(29		)	182
Amortization of unrecognized transition obligation	42			45			47
Totals	$	4,203		$	3,339		$	3,856

The activity under those defined benefit plans are as follows:



(In thousands)	April 2, 2016			March 28, 2015
Change in Benefit Obligation:
Benefit Obligation, beginning of year	$	(40,567	)	$	(32,621	)
Service cost	(3,560		)	(2,979		)
Interest cost	(371		)	(686		)
Benefits paid	3,780			4,902
Actuarial (loss)/gain	424			(6,883		)
Employee and plan participants contribution	(1,839		)	(2,978		)
Plan Amendments	833			114
Foreign currency changes	3,381			564
Benefit obligation, end of year	$	(37,919	)	$	(40,567	)
Change in Plan Assets:
Fair value of plan assets, beginning of year	$	23,165		$	19,981
Company contributions	1,987			2,112
Benefits paid	(3,779		)	(4,621		)
Gain/(Loss) on plan assets	446			506
Employee and plan participants contributions	1,861			2,851
Foreign currency changes	(3,828		)	2,336
Fair value of Plan Assets, end of year	$	19,852		$	23,165
Funded Status*	$	(18,067	)	$	(17,402	)
Unrecognized net actuarial loss/(gain)	10,168			11,096
Unrecognized initial obligation	37			64
Unrecognized prior service cost	(1,186		)	(459		)
Net amount recognized	$	(9,048	)	$	(6,701	)



*		The unfunded status is all non-current.

One of the benefit plans is funded by benefit payments made by the Company. Accordingly that plan has no assets included in the information presented above. The total liability for this plan was $8.7 million and $9.2 million as of April 2, 2016 and March 28, 2015, respectively.

The accumulated benefit obligation for all plans was $36.4 million and $34.9 million for the fiscal year ended April 2, 2016 and March 28, 2015, respectively. There were no plans where the plan assets were greater than the accumulated benefit obligation as of April 2, 2016 and March 28, 2015.

The components of the change recorded in our accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income related to our defined benefit plans, net of tax, are as follows (in thousands):



Balance, March 30, 2013	$	(5,073	)
Obligation at transition	172
Actuarial loss	(129		)
Prior service cost	438
Balance as of March 29, 2014	$	(4,592	)
Obligation at transition	(19		)
Actuarial loss	(6,198		)
Prior service cost	1,886
Balance as of March 28, 2015	$	(8,923	)
Obligation at transition	33
Actuarial loss	681
Prior service cost	717
Balance as of April 2, 2016	$	(7,492	)

We expect to amortize $0.2 million from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net periodic benefit cost during 2017.

The weighted average rates used to determine the net periodic benefit costs and projected benefit obligations were as follows:



	April 2, 2016		March 28, 2015		March 29, 2014
Discount rate	0.72	%	0.93	%	2.02	%
Rate of increased salary levels	1.58	%	1.65	%	1.57	%
Expected long-term rate of return on assets	1.20	%	1.68	%	1.94	%

Assumptions for expected long-term rate of return on plan assets are based upon actual historical returns, future expectations of returns for each asset class and the effect of periodic target asset allocation rebalancing. The results are adjusted for the payment of reasonable expenses of the plan from plan assets.

We have no other material obligation for post-retirement or post-employment benefits.

Our investment policy for pension plans is to balance risk and return through a diversified portfolio to reduce interest rate and market risk. Maturities are managed so that sufficient liquidity exists to meet immediate and future benefit payment requirements.

ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures, provides guidance for reporting and measuring the plan assets of our defined benefit pension plan at fair value as of April 2, 2016. Using the same three-level valuation hierarchy for disclosure of fair value measurements as described in Note 6, Derivatives and Fair Value Measurements, all of the assets of the Company’s plan are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy because the plan assets are primarily insurance contracts.

Expected benefit payments for both plans are estimated using the same assumptions used in determining the company’s benefit obligation at April 2, 2016. Benefit payments will depend on future employment and compensation levels, average years employed and average life spans, among other factors, and changes in any of these factors could significantly affect these estimated future benefit payments.

Estimated future benefit payments are as follows:



(in thousands)
Fiscal Year 2017	$	1,746
Fiscal Year 2018	1,542
Fiscal Year 2019	1,523
Fiscal Year 2020	1,883
Fiscal Year 2021	1,687
Fiscal Year 2022-2026	7,872
	$	16,253

The Company's contributions for fiscal 2017 are expected to be consistent with the current year.