Skip to main content
Benefits » Benefits

Benefits

Health Insurance 
  • The State covers the insurance premium for “employee only” with its own plan*.  
  • The employee pays an additional premium for dependent coverage.  
  • Premiums are payroll deducted and are normally on a pre-tax basis.                                                     (*State of North Carolina Comprehensive Major Medical Plan)
 
Retirement System 
  •  The State’s retirement system (non-optional participation) is a benefit for permanent full-time (75%-100%) employees, with costs shared by the employee (6%) and the State (set by the Legislature, subject to change).
 
 
  • Deductions are on a pre-tax basis. 
  • At retirement, employees can receive monthly payments for life (based on salary, age, and years of creditable service) or can receive a contributions refund. Employees can also request a contributions refund upon employment separation. 
  • Contributed funds earn 4% interest after five years of employment. 
 
 
Disability Income Plan 

  • This plan provides income for eligible State employees who become temporarily or permanently disabled for performance of duties prior to retirement. 
  • Employees are eligible for short term (one year) benefits after one year of contribution to the retirement system, and for long term (indefinite duration) benefits after five years (must have been on short term disability first). 
  • The plan requires a 60 day waiting period before benefits begin. 
 
 
Death Benefit 
  • If an employee with at least one year of contributions to the retirement dies while in active service, his/her beneficiary receives a single lump sum payment based on the employee’s salary at the time of death; however, the payment will be no less than $25,000 and no more than $50,000. The benefit extends 180 days beyond the last date of employment. 
 
 
N.C. Flexible Benefits Plan 
  • Features available through this plan include a medical spending account, dependent care spending account, traditional and managed-care dental options, vision care plan, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance. 
  • Deductions are made on a pre-tax basis.

Credit Union 
  • Employees may become members of the State Employee’s Credit Union.

 Life Insurance 
  • Low cost term life insurance is available to members of the State Employees’ Association of N.C. and through other approved plans as a payroll deduction. form NCDPI-HR | Summary of Benefits   rev. 1/2011 
 
 
Other Insurance 
  • Life insurance, cancer, accident, pre-paid legal, long-term care, and supplemental disability plans may be purchased by employees at group rates through payroll deduction.  
 
Vacation Leave 
  • The amount of leave earned is based on the length of total State service (full-time employees; prorated for part-time employees). Employees must work at least half the working days in a month to earn leave. 
Leave amounts are indicated below: 


  • No more than 240 hours of vacation leave can be carried over from the end of one calendar year into another. If the employee separates, payment for accumulated vacation leave cannot exceed 240 hours.  
  • At the end of the calendar year, any vacation leave exceeding 240 hours is credited to the employee’s sick leave account.  
 
Sick Leave 
  • All full-time employees earn 8 hours of sick leave each month that they work at least half the working days of the month (part-time employees/pro-rata basis).  
  • Sick leave can accumulate indefinitely and can be used for illness of immediate family members as well as for a death in the immediate family. Accumulated sick leave provides time credited towards retirement (20 days = one month).  
 
Community Service, Civil & Military Leave 
  • Community service leave includes 24-36 hours annually and does not accumulate. Hours earned varies due to service option selected and length of employment. Civil and military leave are available to qualified employees, as needed. 
 
Holidays 
  • State employees normally observe 11 paid holidays each (12 if Christmas Day falls on a Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday): 


 Longevity Pay 
  • After 10 years, employees receive an annual payment based on a percentage of their salary: 1.5% at 10 yrs., 2.25% at 15 yrs., 3.25% at 20 yrs., 4.5 % at 25 yrs.  
 
Supplemental Retirement Plans 
  • DPI offers two tax-deferred plans, Prudential NC 401 (k) and Prudential NC Deferred Compensation (457), in addition to the State’s retirement system.