What do other long-term employee benefits refer to?

Other long-term employee benefits encompass those employee benefits that do not become payable wholly within a 12-month period. This definition aligns with the way such benefits are categorized in accounting and reporting standards, which recognize that long-term benefits include those that might be payable over an extended period, typically after a year or more from the reporting date.

The distinction made in option C is crucial because it recognizes the nature of the timing and the obligation linked to these benefits. This can include a variety of benefits like long-service leave, certain types of deferred compensation, and other similar arrangements that extend beyond the short term.

In contrast, the first option addresses benefits that are expected to be settled within one year, which is not relevant to the concept of long-term benefits. The second option suggests benefits with no due date, which is misleading as even long-term benefits generally have a defined point in the future when they are payable. The last option, which limits the definition exclusively to retirement benefits, fails to account for the broader range of long-term employee benefits that can exist beyond just retirement.