Note 6 - Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Notes Tables

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plans Disclosures [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2021			2020
Change in benefit obligation:
Benefit obligation at beginning of year	$	192,954		$	172,909
Service cost		5,820			5,334
Interest cost		4,990			5,618
Amendments		550			—
Change due to mortality change		548			(1,521	)
Change due to discount rate change		(5,865	)		17,040
Actuarial return (loss)		4,342			121
Benefits paid		(7,477	)		(6,547	)
Benefit obligation at end of year		195,862			192,954
Change in fair value of plan assets:
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year		148,052			116,067
Actual return on plan assets		27,049			14,801
Employer contributions		22,250			23,731
Benefits paid		(7,477	)		(6,547	)
Fair value of plan assets at end of year		189,874			148,052
Underfunded status at end of year	$	(5,988	)	$	(44,902	)

Pension Benefits Recognized Balance Sheet Location [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2021			2020
Current liabilities:
Accrued benefit liability	$	(1,315	)	$	(758	)
Non- current pension liability:
Accrued benefit liability		(4,673	)		(44,144	)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		29,966			53,085
Net amount recognized	$	23,978		$	8,183

Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2021					2020
Discount rate: net periodic pension cost		2.64	%				3.32	%
Discount rate: projected benefit obligation		2.86	%				2.64	%
Expected rate of return on plan assets		6.40	%				6.45	%
Rate of compensation increase: net periodic pension cost	5.00%/2.00%			(1	)		2.00	%
Rate of compensation increase: projected benefit obligation	5.00%/2.00%			(1	)		2.00	%

Schedule of Net Benefit Costs [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
	2021			2020			2019
Service cost	$	5,820		$	5,334		$	4,401
Interest cost		4,990			5,618			6,482
Expected return on plan assets		(9,252	)		(7,489	)		(5,982	)
Amortization of prior service benefit		394			117			61
Amortization of net gain from earlier periods		4,502			4,652			4,389
Net periodic pension cost	$	6,454		$	8,232		$	9,351

Investment Policy Allocation [Table Text Block]

	Target			Maximum
Large cap U.S. equities		17	%		20	%
Small cap U.S. equities		8	%		10	%
Non-U.S. equities		25	%		30	%
U.S. Fixed income		18	%		23	%
Emerging markets debt		5	%		8	%
Real estate		15	%		18	%
Absolute return		5	%		7	%
Company stock/Real return		7	%		13	%

Fair Value of Plan Assets by Category [Table Text Block]

	Hecla plans								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	1,835	$	—	$	—	$	1,835	$	305	$	—	$	—	$	305
Common stock		8,869		—		—		8,869		1,580		—		—		1,580
Mutual funds		96,957		—		—		96,957		15,707		—		—		15,707
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		107,661		—		—		107,661		17,592		—		—		17,592
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								19,119								4,482
Hedge funds								12,866								2,828
Common collective funds								20,626								4,700
Total investments measured at net asset value								52,611								12,010
Total fair value	$	107,661	$	—	$	—	$	160,272	$	17,592	$	—	$	—	$	29,602

	Hecla								Lucky Friday
	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Investments measured at fair value
Interest-bearing cash	$	367	$	—	$	—	$	367	$	111	$	—	$	—	$	111
Common stock		13,947		—		—		13,947		3,203		—		—		3,203
Mutual funds		69,994		—		—		69,994		15,786		—		—		15,786
Total investments in the fair value hierarchy		84,308		—		—		84,308		19,100		—		—		19,100
Investments measured at net asset value
Real estate funds								12,708								3,428
Hedge funds								5,823								1,215
Common collective funds								17,545								3,925
Total investments measured at net asset value								36,076								8,568
Total fair value	$	84,308	$	—	$	—	$	120,384	$	19,100	$	—	$	—	$	27,668

Schedule of Expected Benefit Payments [Table Text Block]

Year Ending December 31,	Pension Plans
2022	$	8,816
2023		8,765
2024		8,944
2025		9,135
2026		9,212
Years 2027-2031		45,880

Schedule of Net Funded Status [Table Text Block]

	December 31, 2021				December 31, 2020
	ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO		ABO Exceeds Plan Assets		Plan Assets Exceed ABO
Projected benefit obligation	$	195,862	$	—	$	192,954	$	—
Accumulated benefit obligation		191,597		—		189,931		—
Fair value of plan assets		189,873		—		148,051		—

Schedule of Defined Benefit Plan Amounts Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Table Text Block]

	Pension Benefits
Unamortized net (gain)/loss	$	28,386
Unamortized prior service cost		1,580