The Burke County Board of Commissioners voted to adopt an updated personnel policy that revises vacation carryover and cash‑out rules, clarifies comp‑time handling and updates employee-related policies such as Americans with Disabilities Act references and vaping rules.
County staff said the most substantial change is how employees may carry over and cash out unused vacation. “Unused vacation time now can be carried over and they can cash in up to half of those hours and, to receive a check once a year,” the staff presenter said, describing the new cash‑out limit. The policy includes caps on amounts that can be carried forward: staff described carryover limits of about 120 hours for a 40‑hour employee and 180 hours for employees on a 60‑hour schedule.
On comp time, staff said the policy requires accrued comp time to be used within 30 days or it will be forfeited. “Comp time must be used by the employee and will not be paid out,” the presenter said. The policy also clarifies that salaried employees generally do not earn comp time and that overtime pay remains the usual approach for hourly employees.
Commissioners discussed the budgetary and workforce implications. Staff estimated fewer than 10% of county employees would be affected materially by the new cash‑out limits. Department heads noted the change could complicate budgeting since large payouts can be difficult to forecast.
Motion and vote: Commissioner Nicks moved to adopt the updated personnel policy; Commissioner Lively seconded. The motion passed on a unanimous voice vote.
What to watch for: Department heads and HR will implement the new carryover and cash‑out rules and will need to manage any one‑time payouts under the new policy during the next budget cycle.