Note 8 - Employee Benefit Plans

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Notes to Financial Statements

Compensation and Employee Benefit Plans [Text Block]

8

.    Employee Benefit Plans

We maintain a defined contribution employee retirement plan, which includes a

401

(k) option, under which all employees are eligible to participate. We match a specified percentage of employee contributions, subject to certain limitations. For the years ended

December 31, 2017,

2016,

and

2015,

our matching contributions to the plan were

$16.7

million,

$15.6

million, and

$14.7

million, respectively.

We have a nonqualified deferred compensation plan that allows eligible employees to defer a portion of their compensation. The compensation deferred under this plan is credited with earnings or losses o

n investments elected by plan participants. Each participant is fully vested in all deferred compensation and earnings; however, these amounts are subject to general creditor claims until actually distributed to the employee. A participant

may

elect to receive deferred amounts in

one

payment or in quarterly installments payable over a period of

2

to

25

years upon reaching age

55,

having

15

years of service, or becoming disabled. Our total liability under this plan was

$16.4

million as of

December 31, 2017,

and

$14.9

million as of

December 31, 2016.

These amounts are included in other long-term liabilities in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Participant withholdings are held by a trustee and invested in equity securities as directed by participants. These investments are classified as trading securities and recorded at fair value. Realized and unrealized gains and losses are recognized currently in earnings. The investments are included in other assets in our Consolidated Balance Sheets and totaled

$16.4

million as of

December 31, 2017,

and

$14.9

million as of

December 31, 2016.