INCOME TAXES	9 Months Ended
Sep. 26, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
INCOME TAXES	INCOME TAXES Our tax provision or benefit from income taxes for interim periods is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. Each quarter we update our estimate of the annual effective tax rate, and if our estimated tax rate changes, we make a cumulative adjustment. Our quarterly tax provision, and our quarterly estimate of our annual effective tax rate, is subject to variation due to several factors, including variability in accurately predicting our pre-tax and taxable income and loss and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, audit developments, changes in law, regulations and administrative practices, and relative changes of expenses or losses for which tax benefits are not recognized. Additionally, our effective tax rate can be more or less volatile based on the amount of pre-tax income. For example, the impact of discrete items, tax credits, and non-deductible expenses on our effective tax rate is greater when our pre-tax income is lower. Our effective tax rate on earnings for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 26, 2014, was 23.2%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 23.2%, results from the Work Opportunity Tax Credit ("WOTC") earned in 2014 for prior year hires. We generated substantially more prior year credits because more veterans with higher credits were certified than expected, our qualified workers worked longer generating more credits than expected, and many states processed a backlog of credit applications with higher than expected certification rates. These factors generated additional WOTC benefits of approximately $8 million, which were recognized as of September 26, 2014. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 26, 2014 from our expected 2014 rate of 38.9% to 23.2%. WOTC expired in 2013 and has not been renewed by Congress for 2014 new hires. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% result from state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. The effective tax rate of 23.1% on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 27, 2013, was due primarily to the retroactive restoration of the WOTC. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 ("the Act") was signed into law on January 2, 2013. The Act retroactively restored the WOTC. Because a change in tax law is accounted for in the period of enactment, the retroactive effect of the Act on our U.S. federal taxes for 2012 was recognized as of September 27, 2013. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 27, 2013 from our expected 2013 rate of 33.6% to 23.1%. As of September 26, 2014 and December 27, 2013, we had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $2.0 million recorded in accordance with current accounting guidance on uncertain tax positions.

INCOME TAXES

Our tax provision or benefit from income taxes for interim periods is determined using an estimate of our annual effective tax rate, adjusted for discrete items, if any, that are taken into account in the relevant period. Each quarter we update our estimate of the annual effective tax rate, and if our estimated tax rate changes, we make a cumulative adjustment. Our quarterly tax provision, and our quarterly estimate of our annual effective tax rate, is subject to variation due to several factors, including variability in accurately predicting our pre-tax and taxable income and loss and the mix of jurisdictions to which they relate, audit developments, changes in law, regulations and administrative practices, and relative changes of expenses or losses for which tax benefits are not recognized. Additionally, our effective tax rate can be more or less volatile based on the amount of pre-tax income. For example, the impact of discrete items, tax credits, and non-deductible expenses on our effective tax rate is greater when our pre-tax income is lower.

Our effective tax rate on earnings for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 26, 2014, was 23.2%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 23.2%, results from the Work Opportunity Tax Credit ("WOTC") earned in 2014 for prior year hires. We generated substantially more prior year credits because more veterans with higher credits were certified than expected, our qualified workers worked longer generating more credits than expected, and many states processed a backlog of credit applications with higher than expected certification rates. These factors generated additional WOTC benefits of approximately $8 million, which were recognized as of September 26, 2014. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 26, 2014 from our expected 2014 rate of 38.9% to 23.2%. WOTC expired in 2013 and has not been renewed by Congress for 2014 new hires. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% result from state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses.

The effective tax rate of 23.1% on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 27, 2013, was due primarily to the retroactive restoration of the WOTC. The American Taxpayer Relief Act of 2012 ("the Act") was signed into law on January 2, 2013. The Act retroactively restored the WOTC. Because a change in tax law is accounted for in the period of enactment, the retroactive effect of the Act on our U.S. federal taxes for 2012 was recognized as of September 27, 2013. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the thirty-nine weeks ended September 27, 2013 from our expected 2013 rate of 33.6% to 23.1%.

As of September 26, 2014 and December 27, 2013, we had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $2.0 million recorded in accordance with current accounting guidance on uncertain tax positions.