Employee benefits
i) Personnel vacations
The Company and its subsidiaries in Mexico and Central America recognize a reserve for the costs of paid absences, such as vacation time, based on the accrual method.
ii) Termination benefits
The Company recognizes a liability and expense for termination benefits at the earlier of the following dates:
a) When it can no longer withdraw the offer of those benefits; and
b) When it recognizes costs for a restructuring that is within the scope of IAS 37, Provisions, Contingent Liabilities and Contingent Assets, and involves the payment of termination benefits.
The Company is demonstrably committed to a termination when, and only when, it has a detailed formal plan for the termination and is without realistic possibility of withdrawal.
For the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, no termination benefits provision has been recognized.
iii) Seniority premiums
In accordance with Mexican Labor Law, the Company provides seniority premium benefits to the employees who rendered services to its Mexican subsidiaries under certain circumstances. These benefits consist of a one-time payment equivalent to 12 days’ wages for each year of service (at the employee’s most recent salary, but not to exceed twice the legal minimum wage), payable to all employees with 15 or more years of service, as well as to certain employees terminated involuntarily prior to the vesting of their seniority premium benefit.
Obligations relating to seniority premiums other than those arising from restructurings, are recognized based upon actuarial calculations and are determined using the projected unit credit method.
The latest actuarial computation was prepared as of December 31, 2017.
Remeasurement gains and losses are recognized in full in the period in which they occur in OCI. Such remeasurement gains and losses are not reclassified to profit or loss in subsequent periods.
The defined benefit asset or liability comprises the present value of the defined benefit obligation using a discount rate based on government bonds (Certificados de la Tesorería de la Federación, or “CETES” in Mexico), less the fair value of plan assets out of which the obligations are to be settled.
For entities in Costa Rica and Guatemala there is no obligation to pay seniority premium or other retirement benefits.
iv) Incentives
The Company has a quarterly incentive plan for certain personnel whereby cash bonuses are awarded for meeting certain performance targets. These incentives are payable shortly after the end of each quarter and are accounted for as a short-term benefit under IAS 19, Employee Benefits. A provision is recognized based on the estimated amount of the incentive payment.
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 the Company expensed Ps.48,384, Ps.40,829 and Ps.50,558, respectively, as quarterly incentive bonuses, recorded under the caption salaries and benefits.
During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company adopted a new short-term benefit plan for certain key personnel whereby cash bonuses are awarded when certain of the Company’s performance targets are met. These incentives are payable shortly after the end of each year and also are accounted for as a short-term benefit under IAS 19. A provision is recognized based on the estimated amount of the incentive payment. During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015 the Company recorded an expense for an amount of Ps.0, Ps.53,738, and Ps.70,690, respectively, under the caption salaries and benefits.
v) Long-term retention plan (“LTRP”)
The Company has adopted a Long-term incentive plan (“LTIP”). This plan consists of a share purchase plan (equity-settled) and a share appreciation rights “SARs” plan (cash settled), and is therefore accounted under IFRS 2 “Shared based payments”
vi) Share-based payments
a) LTIP
Share purchase plan (equity-settled)
Certain key employees of the Company receive additional benefits through a share purchase plan denominated in Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”), which has been classified as an equity-settled share-based payment. The cost of the equity-settled share purchase plan is measured at the grant date, taking into account the terms and conditions on which the share options were granted. The equity-settled compensation cost is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations under the caption of salaries and benefits, over the requisite service period (Note 17).
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company expensed Ps.13,508, Ps.7,816 and Ps.6,018, respectively, related to RSUs. The expenses were recorded under the caption salaries and benefits.
SARs plan (cash settled)
The Company granted SARs to key employees, which entitle them to a cash payment after a service period. The amount of the cash payment is determined based on the increase in the share price of the Company between the grant date and the time of exercise. The liability for the SARs is measured, initially and at the end of each reporting period until settled, at the fair value of the SARs, taking into account the terms and conditions on which the SARs were granted. The compensation cost is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations under the caption of salaries and benefits, over the requisite service period (Note 17).
During the years ended December 31, 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company recorded a (benefit) expense for Ps.(8,999), Ps.31,743, Ps.44,699, respectively, related to the SARs included in the LTIP. These amounts were recorded under the caption salaries and benefits.
b) Management incentive plan (“MIP”)
MIP I
Certain key employees of the Company receive additional benefits through a share purchase plan, which has been classified as an equity-settled share-based payment. The equity-settled compensation cost is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations under the caption of salaries and benefits, over the requisite service period (Note 17).
During the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company recorded an expense by Ps.327 as cost of the MIP, related to the vested shares, the expense was recorded in the consolidated statement of operations under the caption salaries and benefits.
MIP II
On February 19, 2016, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized an extension to the MIP for certain key employees, this plan was named MIP II. In accordance with this plan, the Company granted SARs to key employees, which entitle them to a cash payment after a service period. The amount of the cash payment is determined based on the increase in the share price of the Company between the grant date and the time of exercise. The liability for the SARs is measured initially and at the end of each reporting period until settled at the fair value of the SARs, taking into account the terms and conditions on which the SARs were granted. The compensation cost is recognized in the consolidated statement of operations under the caption of salaries and benefits, over the requisite service period (Note 17).
During the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, the Company recorded a (benefit) expense for Ps.(16,499) and Ps.54,357, respectively, related to MIP II into the consolidated statement of operations.
vii) Employee profit sharing
The Mexican Income Tax Law (“MITL”), establishes that the base for computing current year employee profit sharing shall be the taxpayer’s taxable income of the year for income tax purposes, including certain adjustments established in the Income Tax Law, at the rate of 10%. For the years ended December 2017, 2016 and 2015, the cost of employee profit sharing earned is Ps.8,342, Ps.9,967 and Ps.9,938, respectively, and is presented as an expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Subsidiaries in Central America do not have such profit sharing benefit, as it is not required by local regulation.