CRA recorded approximately $4.4 million, $4.8 million, and $4.1 million of compensation expense for fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022, and fiscal 2021, respectively, for share-based awards consisting of stock options, shares of restricted stock, time-vesting restricted stock units, and performance-vesting restricted stock units issued to employees and directors, based on their respective estimated grant date fair values. Performance-vesting restricted stock units are expensed using the graded attribution method.

Share-based Compensation Plans. As of December 30, 2023, CRA's active equity-based compensation plans consist of its Amended and Restated 2006 Equity Incentive Plan, as amended (the "2006 Equity Plan"), and its 1998 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (the "1998 ESPP"), a tax-qualified plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. CRA has a long-term incentive program, or "LTIP," which is used as a framework for grants made under the 2006 Equity Plan to its senior corporate leaders, practice leaders and key revenue generators. Under the LTIP, participants have received a mixture of stock options, time-vesting restricted stock units, and performance-vesting restricted stock units. CRA's Cash Incentive Plan facilitates grants to LTIP participants of service-based and performance-based cash awards as a component of the LTIP. The LTIP is designed to reward CRA's senior corporate leaders, practice leaders and key revenue generators and provide them with the opportunity to share in the long-term growth of CRA.

2006 Equity Plan: Maximum and Available Shares. The 2006 Equity Plan authorizes the grant of a variety of incentive and performance awards to CRA's directors, employees and non-employee experts, including stock options, shares of restricted stock, restricted stock units, and other equity awards. The shares available for grant under the 2006 Equity Plan as of December 30, 2023 was 661,327.


	Options	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term	Aggregate Intrinsic Value
					(in thousands)
Outstanding at December 31, 2022	71,200	$	40.60		$	5,826
Fiscal 2023:
Granted	—	$	—
Exercised	(26,000)	$	30.96		$	1,541
Expired	—	$	—
Forfeited	—	$	—		$	—
Outstanding at December 30, 2023	45,200	$	46.15	4.45	$	2,382
Option exercisable at December 30, 2023	45,200	$	46.15	4.45	$	2,382
Vested or expected to vest at December 30, 2023	45,200	$	46.15	4.45	$	2,382

There were no stock options granted in fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022, and fiscal 2021. CRA determines the weighted average fair market value for stock options granted using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model. Generally, the risk-free interest rate is based on U.S. Treasury interest rates with corresponding terms consistent with the expected life of the stock options. Expected volatility and expected life are based on CRA's historical experience. Expected dividend yield is determined based on CRA's annualized dividend rate per share, as a percentage of average market price of the common stock, on each dividend payment date. The forfeiture rate is based upon historical experience. CRA believes its historical experience is an appropriate indicator of future forfeitures.

There were no stock options that vested during fiscal 2023. The total fair value of stock options that vested during fiscal 2022, and fiscal 2021 was $0.1 million, and $0.2 million, respectively. As of December 30, 2023, there was no unrecognized compensation cost, net of expected forfeitures, related to non-vested stock options granted. Options granted during or prior to fiscal 2016 expire on the seventh anniversary of the date of grant. Options granted during or after fiscal 2017 expire on the tenth anniversary of the date of grant.

Restricted Stock. CRA grants shares of restricted stock, which are subject to the execution of a restricted stock agreement, under its 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. Generally, shares of restricted stock vest in four equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant. Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of expected forfeitures, related to shares of restricted stock as of December 30, 2023 was $1.4 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years. The forfeiture rate of 0.9% used for shares of restricted stock was based upon historical experience. CRA believes its historical experience is an appropriate indicator of future forfeitures.


	Shares of Restricted Stock
	Number of Shares	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2022	26,909	$	72.60
Granted	6,930	$	100.95
Vested	(11,283)	$	62.85
Forfeited	—	$	—
Non-vested at December 30, 2023	22,556	$	86.18

Time-Vesting RSUs. CRA grants time-vesting restricted stock units, which are subject to the execution of a restricted stock unit agreement, under its 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. Generally, time-vesting restricted stock units vest in four or five equal annual installments beginning on the first anniversary of the date of grant. Total unrecognized compensation cost, net of expected forfeitures, related to time-vesting restricted stock units as of December 30, 2023 was $3.3 million, which is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.6 years. The forfeiture rate of 0.9% used for time-vesting restricted stock units was based upon historical experience. CRA believes its historical experience is an appropriate indicator of future forfeitures.


	Time-Vesting Restricted Stock Units
	Number of Units	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2022	74,056	$	62.06
Granted	16,243	$	110.38
Vested	(27,917)	$	57.08
Forfeited	(1,491)	$	89.94
Non-vested at December 30, 2023	60,891	$	76.55

Performance-Vesting RSUs. CRA grants performance-vesting restricted stock units ("PRSUs"), which are subject to the execution of a restricted stock unit agreement, under its 2006 Equity Incentive Plan. Generally, achievement of performance measures for PRSUs are based on a two-year performance period, after which the units determined based on this achievement will vest three-fourths in the first year following the performance period and one-fourth on the fourth anniversary of the date of grant. Beginning with the 2022 grant, fifty percent will vest in the first year following the performance period and one-fourth on the fourth and fifth anniversaries of the date of the grant. The number of units determined based on the achievement of a PRSUs performance measures generally ranges from 50% to 150% of the PRSUs' target number of units.

For PRSUs awarded to employees, CRA estimates share-based compensation cost at the grant date based on the fair value of the award and recognizes the cost over the requisite service period using the graded attribution method.

The following table provides a roll-forward of the performance-vesting restricted stock units under the 2006 Equity Incentive Plan over fiscal 2023. For purposes of this table, granted PRSUs are counted based on the maximum number of units that could vest upon achievement of the PRSUs' performance conditions which equaled 150% of the PRSU's target number of units for the 2022 grants and 125% of the PRSUs' target number of units for all grants issued prior to 2022.


	Performance-Vesting Restricted Stock Units
	Number of Units	Weighted-Average Grant Date Fair Value
Non-vested at December 31, 2022	95,046	$	66.76
Granted	22,631	$	106.38
Vested	(43,958)	$	57.15
Forfeited	(2,381)	$	59.83
Non-vested at December 30, 2023	71,338	$	85.48

1998 ESPP. In fiscal 1998, CRA adopted the 1998 ESPP, a tax-qualified plan under Section 423 of the Internal Revenue Code. The 1998 ESPP authorizes the issuance of up to an aggregate of 243,000 shares of common stock to participating employees at a purchase price equal to 85% of fair market value on either the first or the last day of the one-year offering period under the plan. In fiscal 2023, fiscal 2022, and fiscal 2021, there were no offering periods under this plan and no shares were issued. As of December 30, 2023, there were 211,777 shares available for grant under the 1998 ESPP.