Compensation Related Costs, Postemployment Benefits (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2020

Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Pensions, Policy

Defined Contribution Plans

WESCO Distribution sponsors a defined contribution retirement savings plan for the majority of its U.S. employees. The Company matches contributions made by employees at an amount equal to 50% of participants' total monthly contributions up to a maximum of 6% of eligible compensation. Contributions are made in cash and employees have the option to transfer balances allocated to their accounts into any of the available investment options. The Company may also make, subject to the Board of Directors' approval, a discretionary contribution to the defined contribution retirement savings plan covering U.S. participants if certain predetermined profit levels are attained. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its adverse effect on WESCO's results of operations, effective April 16, 2020, the Company indefinitely suspended matching employer contributions.

WESCO Distribution Canada LP, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, sponsors a defined contribution plan for certain Canadian employees. The Company makes contributions in amounts ranging from 3% to 5% of participants' eligible compensation based on years of continuous service.

Anixter Inc. sponsors a defined contribution plan covering all of its non-union U.S. employees (the "Anixter Employee Savings Plan"). Participants in the Anixter Employee Savings Plan are eligible to enroll on their date of hire and are automatically enrolled approximately 60 days after their date of hire unless they opt out. The employer match for the Anixter Employee Savings Plan is to equal 50% of a participant's contribution up to 5% of the participant's compensation. Anixter Inc. will also make an annual contribution to the Anixter Employee Savings Plan on behalf of each active participant who is hired or rehired on or after July 1, 2015, or is not participating in the Anixter Inc. Pension Plan. The amount of the employer annual contribution is equal to either 2% or 2.5% of the participant’s compensation, as determined by the participant’s years of service. This contribution is in lieu of being eligible for the Anixter Inc. Pension Plan. Certain of Anixter Inc.'s foreign subsidiaries also have defined contribution plans. Contributions to these plans are based upon various levels of employee participation and legal requirements.

Deferred Compensation Plans

WESCO Distribution sponsors a deferred compensation plan (the "WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan") for select individuals that permits pre-tax deferrals of salary and bonus. Employees have the option to transfer balances allocated to their accounts in the WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan into any of the available investment options. The WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan is an unfunded plan. As of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company's obligation under the WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan was $24.4 million and $25.2 million, respectively, which was included in other noncurrent liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.

Anixter Inc. sponsors a non-qualified deferred compensation plan (the "Anixter Deferred Compensation Plan") that permits selected employees to make pre-tax deferrals of salary and bonus. Interest is accrued monthly on the deferred compensation balances based on the average ten-year Treasury note rate for the previous three months times a factor of 1.4, and the rate is further adjusted if certain financial goals are achieved. The Anixter Deferred Compensation Plan provides for benefit payments upon retirement, death, disability, termination or other scheduled dates determined by the participant. At June 30, 2020, the deferred compensation liabilities included in other current liabilities and other noncurrent liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet were $3.8 million and $42.6 million, respectively.

Concurrent with the implementation of the Anixter Deferred Compensation Plan, the Company established a Rabbi Trust arrangement to provide for the liabilities associated with the deferred compensation plan and an executive non-qualified defined

benefit plan. The assets are invested in marketable securities. At June 30, 2020, $39.5 million was recorded in "Other assets" in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets for this arrangement.

Defined Benefit Plans

WESCO sponsors a contributory defined benefit plan covering substantially all Canadian employees of EECOL and a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for certain executives of EECOL (the "EECOL SERP").

Anixter Inc. sponsors defined benefit pension plans in the U.S., which consist of the Anixter Inc. Pension Plan, the Executive Benefit Plan and the Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan (the "Anixter SERP") (together, the "Anixter Domestic Plans") and various defined benefit pension plans covering employees of foreign subsidiaries in Canada and Europe (together, the " Anixter Foreign Plans"). The Anixter Inc. Pension Plan was frozen to entrants first hired or rehired on or after July 1, 2015. The majority of these defined benefit pension plans are non-contributory, and with the exception of U.S. and Canada, cover substantially all full-time domestic employees and certain employees in other countries. Retirement benefits are provided based on compensation as defined in both the Anixter Domestic Plans and the Anixter Foreign Plans. The Anixter Domestic Plans are funded as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") and the IRS and all Anixter Foreign Plans as required by applicable foreign laws. The Anixter Inc. Executive Benefit Plan and the Anixter SERP are unfunded plans.

During the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company made aggregate cash contributions of $0.8 million and $1.8 million, respectively, for all of the benefit plans described above.

For the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, WESCO incurred total charges of $9.3 million and $18.9 million, respectively, for all of the benefit plans described above.

The following table sets forth the components of net periodic benefit costs for the defined benefit plans:


	Three Months Ended						Six Months Ended
	June 30						June 30
(In thousands)	2020		2019		2020		2019
Service cost	$	1,668	$	1,139	$	2,977	$	2,288
Interest cost	1,288		1,080		2,325		2,169
Expected return on plan assets	(1,988)		(1,410)		(3,603)		(2,832)
Recognized actuarial gain⁽¹⁾	26		(15)		53		(31)
Net periodic benefit cost	$	994	$	794	$	1,752	$	1,594

⁽¹⁾For the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, no amounts were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) into net (loss) income, respectively.

The service cost of $1.7 million and $1.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $3.0 million and $2.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, was reported as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses. The other components of net periodic benefit cost totaling a net benefit of $0.7 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, and $1.2 million and $0.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, were presented as a component of net interest and other.