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EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS (Notes)
 3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2021
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
EMPLOYEE BENEFIT PLANS
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 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.
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"). The employer match for the Anixter Employee Savings Plan is equal to 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.
For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, WESCO incurred charges of $16.6 million and $5.7 million, respectively, for all defined contribution plans.
Deferred Compensation Plans
WESCO Distribution sponsors a non-qualified deferred compensation plan (the "WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan") that permits select employees to make 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 March 31, 2021, the Company's obligation under the WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan was $17.8 million, which was included in other noncurrent liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet. As of December 31, 2020, the Company's obligation under the WESCO Deferred Compensation Plan was $27.4 million, of which $10.1 million was included in other current liabilities and $17.3 million was in other noncurrent liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet.
Anixter Inc. sponsors a non-qualified deferred compensation plan (the "Anixter Deferred Compensation Plan") that permits select 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. In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company made a determination to terminate the Anixter Deferred Compensation Plan. Accordingly, a deferred compensation liability of $43.0 million has been classified in other current liabilities in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2021 as the Company expects to make lump sum payments directly to participants of the plan during 2021. At December 31, 2020, the deferred compensation liability included in other current liabilities was $45.1 million.
Assets are held in 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. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the assets held in this arrangement were $39.8 million and $39.6 million, respectively, and are recorded in other current assets in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets.
Defined Benefit Plans
WESCO sponsors a contributory defined benefit plan (the "EECOL Plan") covering substantially all Canadian employees of EECOL Electric Corp. and a Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan for certain executives of EECOL Electric Corp. (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 "Domestic Plans") and various defined benefit pension plans covering employees of foreign subsidiaries in Canada and Europe (together with the "EECOL Plan" and "EECOL SERP", the "Foreign Plans"). The Anixter Inc. Pension Plan was frozen to entrants first hired or rehired on or after July 1, 2015. The majority of the Anixter defined benefit pension plans are non-contributory, and with the exception of U.S. and Canada, cover substantially all full-time employees in their respective countries. Retirement benefits are provided based on compensation as defined in each of the pension plans.
In the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company made a determination to terminate both the Anixter Inc. Executive Benefit Plan and the Anixter SERP. Accordingly, pension liabilities totaling $17.5 million associated with the Anixter Inc. Executive Benefit Plan and the Anixter SERP have been classified as current in the Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet at March 31, 2021 as the Company expects to make lump sum payments directly to participants of these plans during 2021. At December 31, 2020, the pension liabilities included in other current liabilities were $18.1 million.
The Domestic Plans are funded as required by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 ("ERISA") and the IRS and the Foreign Plans are funded as required by applicable foreign laws. The EECOL SERP, Anixter Inc. Executive Benefit Plan and the Anixter SERP are unfunded plans.
During the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, the Company made aggregate cash contributions of $2.6 million and $1.0 million, respectively, to its Foreign Plans.
The following table sets forth the components of net periodic pension (benefit) cost for the Company's defined benefit plans:
Domestic Plans(1)
Foreign Plans(1)
Total
Three Months EndedThree Months EndedThree Months Ended
(In thousands)March 31, 2021March 31, 2020March 31, 2021March 31, 2020March 31, 2021March 31, 2020
Service cost$764 $— $3,224 $1,309 $3,988 $1,309 
Interest cost2,137 — 2,446 1,037 4,583 1,037 
Expected return on plan assets(4,501)— (4,256)(1,614)(8,757)(1,614)
Recognized actuarial gain(2)
— — 102 27 102 27 
Net periodic pension (benefit) cost$(1,600)$— $1,516 $759 $(84)$759 
(1)    The Company assumed the Domestic Plans and certain foreign plans, as described above, in connection with the acquisition of Anixter on June 22, 2020. The Company began recognizing the net periodic pension (benefit) cost associated with these plans as of the acquisition date.
(2)    For the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, no amounts were reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income into net income.
The service cost of $4.0 million and $1.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, is reported as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses. The other components of net periodic pension (benefit) cost totaling a net benefit of $4.1 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, are presented as a component of other non-operating expenses ("other, net").
Other Benefits
As permitted by the Merger Agreement, Anixter granted restricted stock units prior to June 22, 2020 in the ordinary course of business to its employees and directors. These awards, which did not accelerate solely as a result of the Merger, were converted into cash-only settled WESCO phantom stock units, which vest ratably over a 3-year period. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the estimated fair value of these awards was $15.9 million and $22.8 million, respectively. The Company recognized compensation expense associated with these awards of $5.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which is reported as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses.
STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION
WESCO’s stock-based employee compensation plans are comprised of stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and performance-based awards. Compensation cost for all stock-based awards is measured at fair value on the date of grant and compensation cost is recognized, net of estimated forfeitures, over the service period for awards expected to vest. The fair value of stock-settled stock appreciation rights is determined using the Black-Scholes model. The fair value of restricted stock units and performance-based awards with performance conditions is determined by the grant-date closing price of WESCO’s common stock. The forfeiture assumption is based on WESCO’s historical employee behavior that is reviewed on an annual basis. No dividends are assumed. For stock-settled stock appreciation rights that are exercised and for restricted stock units and performance-based awards that vest, shares are issued out of WESCO's outstanding common stock.
Stock-settled stock appreciation rights vest ratably over a three-year period and terminate on the tenth anniversary of the grant date unless terminated sooner under certain conditions. Restricted stock unit awards granted in February 2020 and prior vest based on a minimum time period of three years. The special award described below vests in tranches. Restricted stock units awarded in 2021 vest ratably over a three-year period on each of the first, second and third anniversaries of the grant date. Vesting of performance-based awards is based on a three-year performance period, and the number of shares earned, if any, depends on the attainment of certain performance levels. Outstanding awards would vest upon the consummation of a change in control transaction and performance-based awards would vest at the target level.
On July 2, 2020, a special award of restricted stock units was granted to certain officers of the Company. These awards vest in tranches of 30% on each of the first and second anniversaries of the grant date and 40% on the third anniversary of the grant date, subject, in each case, to continued employment through the applicable anniversary date.
Performance-based awards granted in 2021, 2020 and 2019 were based on two equally-weighted performance measures: the three-year average growth rate of WESCO's net income and the three-year cumulative return on net assets.
During the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, WESCO granted the following stock-settled stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units and performance-based awards at the following weighted-average fair values:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021		March 31,
2020
Stock-settled stock appreciation rights granted136,194 262,091 
Weighted-average fair value$33.05 $13.86 
Restricted stock units granted300,722 211,450 
Weighted-average fair value$76.89 $48.32 
Performance-based awards granted119,792 158,756 
Weighted-average fair value$76.50 $48.67 
The fair value of stock-settled stock appreciation rights was estimated using the following weighted-average assumptions:
Three Months Ended
March 31,
2021		March 31,
2020
Risk free interest rate0.8 %1.4 %
Expected life (in years)75
Expected volatility41 %30 %
The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury Daily Yield Curve as of the grant date. The expected life is based on historical exercise experience and the expected volatility is based on the volatility of the Company's daily stock price over the expected life preceding the grant date of the award.
The following table sets forth a summary of stock-settled stock appreciation rights and related information for the three months ended March 31, 2021:
AwardsWeighted-
Average
Exercise
Price		Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual Term (In years)		Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(In thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 20202,161,556 $60.48   
     Granted136,194 76.80   
     Exercised(186,055)60.92   
     Forfeited(12,719)52.57   
Outstanding at March 31, 2021
2,098,976 61.55 5.9$52,427 
Exercisable at March 31, 2021
1,729,195 $61.89 5.2$42,612 

The following table sets forth a summary of time-based restricted stock units and related information for the three months ended March 31, 2021:
AwardsWeighted-
Average
Fair
Value
Unvested at December 31, 2020
921,495 $43.15 
     Granted300,722 76.89 
     Vested(90,178)60.66 
     Forfeited(16,129)54.57 
Unvested at March 31, 2021
1,115,910 $50.66 

The following table sets forth a summary of performance-based awards for the three months ended March 31, 2021:
AwardsWeighted-
Average
Fair
Value
Unvested at December 31, 2020
305,269 $52.61 
     Granted119,792 76.50 
     Vested(22,371)62.80 
     Forfeited(27,802)59.87 
Unvested at March 31, 2021
374,888 $59.13 
Vesting of the 374,888 shares of performance-based awards in the table above is dependent upon the achievement of certain performance targets, including 187,444 that are dependent upon the three-year average growth rate of WESCO's net income and 187,444 that are based upon the three-year cumulative return on net assets. These awards are accounted for as awards with performance conditions; compensation cost is recognized over the performance period based upon WESCO's determination of whether it is probable that the performance targets will be achieved.
WESCO recognized $6.0 million and $4.6 million of non-cash stock-based compensation expense, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses, for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. As of March 31, 2021, there was $62.3 million of total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested stock-based compensation arrangements for all awards previously made of which approximately $22.1 million is expected to be recognized over the remainder of 2021, $23.8 million in 2022, $15.1 million in 2023 and $1.3 million in 2024.
Compensation Related Costs, General
Other Benefits
As permitted by the Merger Agreement, Anixter granted restricted stock units prior to June 22, 2020 in the ordinary course of business to its employees and directors. These awards, which did not accelerate solely as a result of the Merger, were converted into cash-only settled WESCO phantom stock units, which vest ratably over a 3-year period. As of March 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, the estimated fair value of these awards was $15.9 million and $22.8 million, respectively. The Company recognized compensation expense associated with these awards of $5.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2021, which is reported as a component of selling, general and administrative expenses.