EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT PLANS (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2014

Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]

Schedule of funded status of Employers Mutual's pension and postretirement benefit plans

The following table sets forth the funded status of Employers Mutual’s pension and postretirement benefit plans as of December 31, 2014 and 2013, based upon measurement dates of December 31, 2014 and 2013, respectively.

	Pension plans						Postretirement benefit plans
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Change in projected benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	239,109		$	247,290		$	50,006		$	155,102
Service cost	12,863			13,213			1,260			6,300
Interest cost	9,664			7,656			2,254			6,172
Actuarial (gain) loss	19,257			(14,459		)	3,516			(18,582		)
Benefits paid	(13,764		)	(14,591		)	(2,533		)	(2,588		)
Medicare subsidy reimbursements	—			—			—			306
Plan amendments	—			—			—			(96,704		)
Projected benefit obligation at end of year	267,129			239,109			54,503			50,006
Change in plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year	288,750			240,034			67,276			57,815
Actual return on plan assets	15,029			48,623			4,547			11,549
Employer contributions	7,833			14,684			—			500
Benefits paid	(13,764		)	(14,591		)	(2,533		)	(2,588		)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	297,848			288,750			69,290			67,276
Funded status	$	30,719		$	49,641		$	14,787		$	17,270

Schedule of amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheet

Amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets:

	Pension plans						Postretirement benefit plans
	2014			2013			2014		2013
Assets:
Prepaid pension and postretirement benefits	$	13,267		$	18,310		$	4,093	$	4,811
Liability:
Pension and postretirement benefits	(4,162		)	(3,401		)	—		—
Net amount recognized	$	9,105		$	14,909		$	4,093	$	4,811

Schedule of amounts recognized in consolidated balance sheets under the caption accumulated other comprehensive income

Amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets under the caption “accumulated other comprehensive income”, before deferred income taxes:

	Pension plans						Postretirement benefit plans
	2014			2013			2014			2013
Net actuarial loss	$	(15,097	)	$	(7,606	)	$	(7,258	)	$	(6,827	)
Prior service (cost) credit	(25		)	(34		)	27,458			30,828
Net amount recognized	$	(15,122	)	$	(7,640	)	$	20,200		$	24,001

Schedule of amounts recognized in consolidated statements of comprehensive income

Amounts recognized in the Company’s consolidated statements of comprehensive income, before deferred income taxes:

	Pension plans					Postretirement benefit plans
	2014			2013		2014			2013
Net actuarial gain (loss)	$	(7,492	)	$	15,694	$	(431	)	$	8,306
Prior service (cost) credit	10			15		(3,370		)	26,274
Net amount recognized	$	(7,482	)	$	15,709	$	(3,801	)	$	34,580

Schedule of projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets

The following table sets forth the projected benefit obligation, accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets of Employers Mutual’s non-qualified pension plan.  The amounts related to the qualified pension plan are not included since the plan assets exceeded the accumulated benefit obligation.

	Year ended December 31,
	2014		2013
Projected benefit obligation	$	13,057	$	10,856
Accumulated benefit obligation	12,121		10,485
Fair value of plan assets	—		—

Components of net periodic benefit cost

The components of net periodic benefit cost (income) for Employers Mutual’s pension and postretirement benefit plans is as follows:

	Year ended December 31,
	2014			2013			2012
Pension plans:
Service cost	$	12,863		$	13,213		$	12,386
Interest cost	9,664			7,656			8,819
Expected return on plan assets	(20,733		)	(17,150		)	(14,926		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	366			5,962			6,809
Amortization of prior service cost	31			50			291
Net periodic pension benefit cost	$	2,191		$	9,731		$	13,379
Postretirement benefit plans:
Service cost	$	1,260		$	6,300		$	6,150
Interest cost	2,254			6,172			6,537
Expected return on plan assets	(4,396		)	(3,631		)	(3,219		)
Amortization of net actuarial loss	1,651			3,694			4,008
Amortization of prior service credit	(11,466		)	(2,491		)	(2,131		)
Net periodic postretirement benefit cost (income)	$	(10,697	)	$	10,044		$	11,345

Schedule of weighted-average assumptions used

The weighted-average assumptions used to measure the benefit obligations are as follows:

	Year ended December 31,
	2014		2013
Pension plans:
Discount rate	3.57	%	4.17	%
Rate of compensation increase:
Qualified pension plan	4.73	%	4.73	%
Non-qualified pension plan	4.68	%	4.68	%
Postretirement benefit plans:
Discount rate	4.04	%	4.71	%

The weighted-average assumptions used to measure the net periodic benefit costs are as follows:

	Year ended December 31,
	2014		2013		2012
Pension plans:
Discount rate	4.17	%	3.24	%	4.13	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	7.25	%	7.25	%	7.25	%
Rate of compensation increase:
Qualified pension plan	4.73	%	4.73	%	4.73	%
Non-qualified pension plan	4.68	%	4.68	%	4.68	%
Postretirement benefit plans:
Discount rate	4.71	%	4.03	%	4.59	%
Expected long-term rate of return on plan assets	6.75	%	6.50	%	6.25	%

Schedule of assumed health care cost trend rates

The expected long-term rates of return on plan assets were developed considering actual historical results, current and expected market conditions, plan asset mix and management’s investment strategy. Due to the planned conversion of the postretirement health care plan to an HRA effective January 1, 2015, an assumption for the health care cost trend rate is no longer necessary.

	Year ended December 31,
	2014	2013
Assumed health care cost trend rate:
Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year	N/A	7.50	%
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate)	N/A	5.00	%
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate	N/A	2024

Schedule of expected future benefit payments

The following benefit payments, which reflect expected future service, are expected to be paid from the plans over the next ten years:

	Pension benefits		Postretirement benefits
2015	$	23,982	$	2,698
2016	21,655		2,861
2017	21,601		2,966
2018	22,418		3,172
2019	23,668		3,259
2020 - 2024	119,109		16,966

Employers Mutual VEBA Trust

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of fair value of plan assets

The fair values of the assets held in Employers Mutual’s VEBA trust are as follows:

			Fair value measurements using
December 31, 2014	Total		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Money market fund	$	4,644	$	4,644	$	—	$	—
Emerging markets ETF	4,187		4,187		—		—
Mutual funds:
Equity	36,451		36,451		—		—
Tax-exempt fixed income	3,425		3,425		—		—
International equity	7,175		7,175		—		—
Life insurance contracts	13,408		—		—		13,408
Total benefit plan assets	$	69,290	$	55,882	$	—	$	13,408

			Fair value measurements using
December 31, 2013	Total		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Money market fund	$	575	$	575	$	—	$	—
Emerging markets ETF	3,224		3,224		—		—
Mutual funds:
Equity	39,710		39,710		—		—
Tax-exempt fixed income	2,865		2,865		—		—
International equity	7,675		7,675		—		—
Life insurance contracts	13,227		—		—		13,227
Total benefit plan assets	$	67,276	$	54,049	$	—	$	13,227

Reconciliation of assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs

Presented below is a reconciliation of the assets measured at fair value using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

	Fair value measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
	Life insurance contracts
	2014			2013
Balance at beginning of year	$	13,227		$	12,872
Actual return on plan assets:
Increase in cash accumulation value of life insurance contracts	367			355
Gain on life insurance death benefit	89			—
Settlement of life insurance death benefit	(275		)	—
Balance at end of year	$	13,408		$	13,227

Employers Mutual Defined Benefit Retirement Plan

Defined Benefit Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans Table Text Block [Line Items]

Schedule of fair value of plan assets

The fair values of the assets held in Employers Mutual’s defined benefit retirement plan are as follows:

			Fair value measurements using
December 31, 2014	Total		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Bond and mortgage separate account	$	34,901	$	—	$	34,901	$	—
Pooled separate accounts:
U.S. stock funds	119,577		—		119,577		—
International stock funds	57,955		—		57,955		—
U.S. bond funds	63,443		—		63,443		—
Real estate fund	17,735		—		17,735		—
Short-term funds	4,237		—		4,237		—
Total benefit plan assets	$	297,848	$	—	$	297,848	$	—

			Fair value measurements using
December 31, 2013	Total		Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets (Level 1)		Significant other observable inputs (Level 2)		Significant unobservable inputs (Level 3)
Bond and mortgage separate account	$	32,843	$	—	$	32,843	$	—
Pooled separate accounts:
U.S. stock funds	110,279		—		110,279		—
International stock funds	62,840		—		62,840		—
U.S. bond funds	60,200		—		60,200		—
Real estate fund	13,758		—		13,758		—
Short-term funds	7,672		—		7,672		—
Real estate securities fund	1,158		1,158		—		—
Total benefit plan assets	$	288,750	$	1,158	$	287,592	$	—