INCOME TAXES	6 Months Ended
Jun. 26, 2015
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 are 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 twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2015 was 25.1%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 25.1% results from federal and state job credits earned in 2015 for prior year hires. These job credits include the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit ("WOTC") and the California Enterprise Zone Tax Credit. We generated substantially more prior year credits in 2015 because the federal WOTC application due date was extended to April 30, 2015 for 2014 hires, and more workers with higher credits were certified than expected. These factors generated additional tax benefits of approximately $3.7 million, which were recognized as of June 26, 2015. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2015 from our expected 2015 rate of 37.3% to 25.1%. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective tax rate of 25.1% result from state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. Our effective tax rate on earnings for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2014, was 16.3%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 16.3%, results from the 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 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 $5.0 million, which were recognized as of June 27, 2014. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2014 from our expected rate of 39.9% to 16.3%. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% result from state income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses. As of June 26, 2015 and December 26, 2014, we had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $2.1 million and $2.0 million, respectively, 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 are 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 twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2015 was 25.1%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 25.1% results from federal and state job credits earned in 2015 for prior year hires. These job credits include the federal Work Opportunity Tax Credit ("WOTC") and the California Enterprise Zone Tax Credit. We generated substantially more prior year credits in 2015 because the federal WOTC application due date was extended to April 30, 2015 for 2014 hires, and more workers with higher credits were certified than expected. These factors generated additional tax benefits of approximately $3.7 million, which were recognized as of June 26, 2015. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 26, 2015 from our expected 2015 rate of 37.3% to 25.1%. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective tax rate of 25.1% result from state and foreign income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses.

Our effective tax rate on earnings for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2014, was 16.3%. The principal difference between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% and our effective income tax rate of 16.3%, results from the 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 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 $5.0 million, which were recognized as of June 27, 2014. This tax credit benefit decreased our effective tax rate on income for the twenty-six weeks ended June 27, 2014 from our expected rate of 39.9% to 16.3%. Other differences between the statutory federal income tax rate of 35.0% result from state income taxes and certain non-deductible expenses.

As of June 26, 2015 and December 26, 2014, we had gross unrecognized tax benefits of $2.1 million and $2.0 million, respectively, recorded in accordance with current accounting guidance on uncertain tax positions.