- 14.1ACCOUNTING POLICIES RELATING TO EMPLOYEE BENEFITS
- 14.1.1 Retirement employment benefits
Defined contribution plans
Defined contribution retirement funds are provided for the benefit of employees, the assets of which are held in separate funds. These funds are funded by contributions from employees and the employer, taking account of the recommendations of independent actuaries. Employer contributions to the defined contribution funds are recognised in profit or loss in the year to which it relates.
Guarantees are not provided in respect of returns in the defined contribution funds.
Defined benefit obligations
A retirement medical contribution obligation exists for certain in-service and retired employees who are members of accredited medical aid funds. This benefit is no longer offered to employees. The liability is determined using the projected unit credit method. Remeasurements arising from experience adjustments and changes in actuarial assumptions are recognised immediately in OCI. Remeasurements recognised in OCI will not be reclassified to profit or loss. Net interest expense and other expenses related to the retirement medical contribution obligation are recognised in profit or loss.
- 14.1.2 Short and long-term benefits
The cost of all short-term employee benefits, such as salaries, bonuses, housing allowances, medical and other contributions, are recognised during the period in which the employee renders the related service.
The vesting portion of long-term benefits is recognised and provided for at reporting date, based on current total cost to company.
- 14.1.3 Termination benefits
Termination benefits are payable whenever an employee's employment is terminated before the normal retirement date or whenever an employee accepts voluntary redundancy in exchange for these benefits.
Termination benefits are recognised when a commitment has been demonstrated to either terminate the employment of current employees according to a detailed formal plan without possibility of withdrawal or to provide termination benefits as a result of an offer made to encourage voluntary redundancy which has been accepted by an employee. If the benefits fall due more than 12 months after the reporting date, they are discounted to present value.
- 14.1.4 Equity compensation benefits
Senior management, including executive directors and eligible employees, participate in the LTIP and DBP incentive schemes.
The LTIP and DBP are treated as equity-settled share-based payment schemes. The fair value is expensed over the vesting period of the instrument with a corresponding increase in equity. The fair value of these schemes are determined at grant date and subsequently reviewed at each reporting period only for changes in non-market performance conditions and employee attrition rates applicable to each scheme.
Exxaro has an agreement with its subsidiary companies to charge the subsidiaries for the equity compensation share schemes granted to the subsidiaries' employees.
The movement in equity in the company's financial statements relating to the recharge of the share-based payments of subsidiaries is accounted for against investments in subsidiaries and is eliminated on consolidation for group reporting purposes.