107  / SERVICE EXCELLENCE Estimated future benefit payments Defined contribution plan Contributions to multi-employer plans 24. Stock-based compensation The estimated future DB pension and other benefit payments to be paid by the plans for each of the next five years and the subsequent five-year period are as follows: The benefit payments from the Canadian registered and U.S. qualified DB pension plans are payable from their respective pension funds. Benefit payments from the supplemental pension plan and from the other benefits plans are payable directly from the Company. Canadian non-unionized employees hired prior to July 1, 2010 had the option to participate in the Canadian DC plan. All Canadian non-unionized employees hired after such date must participate in this plan. Employee contributions are based on a percentage of salary. The Company matches employee contributions to a maximum percentage each year. Effective July 1, 2010, a new U.S. DC plan was established. All U.S. non-unionized employees hired after such date must participate in this plan. Employees do not contribute to the plan. The Company annually contributes a percentage of salary. The DC plans provide a pension based on total employee, where appropriate, and employer contributions plus investment income earned on those contributions. In 2019, the net cost of the DC plans, which generally equals the employer’s required contribution, was $11 million (2018 – $10 million; 2017 – $9 million). Some of the Company’s unionized employees in the U.S. are members of a U.S. national multi-employer benefit plan. Contributions made by the Company to this plan in 2019 in respect of post-retirement medical benefits were $3 million (2018 – $3 million; 2017 – $5 million). At December 31, 2019, the Company had several stock-based compensation plans including stock option plans, various cash-settled liability plans, and an employee share purchase plan. These plans resulted in an expense of $133 million in 2019 (2018 – $75 million; 2017 – $35 million). Effective January 31, 2017, Mr. E. Hunter Harrison resigned from all positions held by him at the Company, including as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and as a member of the Board of Directors of the Company. In connection with Mr. Harrison’s resignation, the Company entered into a separation agreement with Mr. Harrison. Under the terms of the separation agreement, the Company agreed to a limited waiver of Mr. Harrison’s non-competition and non- solicitation obligations. Effective January 31, 2017, pursuant to the separation agreement, Mr. Harrison forfeited certain pension and post-retirement benefits and agreed to the surrender for cancellation of 22,514 PSUs, 68,612 DSUs, and 752,145 stock options. As a result of this agreement, the Company recognized a recovery of $51 million in "Compensation and benefits" in the first quarter of 2017. Of this amount, $27 million related to a recovery from cancellation of certain pension benefits. (in millions of Canadian dollars) Pensions Other benefits 2020 $ 620 $ 34 2021 623 32 2022 627 31 2023 630 30 2024 633 30 2025 – 2029 3,203 144