Deferred compensation plans have been developed to provide employers with a vehicle to set aside the addition- al funds for their employees. NQDC plans offer highly compensated and key employees an opportunity to earn performance awards, defer compensation and taxes until a later date.All 401(k) plans must define the compensation that the employer will use to allocate plan contributions to participants ("plan compensation"). Deferred compensation plans withhold a certain percentage of an employee's salary or wages to fund a specific future benefit.