Bill Would Give State Employees Days Off For Inclement Weather

RALEIGH, N.C. — The next time it snows, state workers might just get the day off with pay.

State House Rep. Paul Miller, D-Durham, introduced a bill that would give full-time state workers two days of adverse weather leave.

"I think as a state government, we have to take that extra step to try to ensure that employees want to work here and I think it's a needed benefit," he said.

Right now, state employees have 12 months to make up any time lost to bad weather. They either take a vacation day or make it up on a holiday.

The governor would have to declare the roads unsafe for the time to kick in. Some lawmakers say they want to make sure the bill is clear that the governor has to declare an emergency in that worker's area before they can take time off.

The John Locke Foundation, a conservative think tank, says the current make-up policy is generous enough.

The bill is headed for committee, but it is getting bipartisan support.