Audit: Central Carolina Community College had more paid days off than state university workers

Many community college employees across North Carolina could soon lose their extra paid holidays because of an audit conducted at a local campus.

State regulators found that Central Carolina Community College, which serves Chatham, Harnett, and Lee Counties, gave workers 23 paid days off last fiscal year. In comparison, state government employees and state university workers all receive just 12 paid holidays every year.

According to the audit, the community college workers received an extra day off for Independence Day, Election Day, an extra day before Thanksgiving, seven extra days during winter break and the Monday after Easter.

"The (community) college began exploring ways to compensate employees for their hard work, but were not able to provide compensation through salary increases," said H. Julian Philpott, Jr., chairman of the CCCC Board of Trustees.

The board chairman added that administrators found no policy stopping them from adding the additional paid days off, and that other campuses did the same.

Also, investigators found that 30 additional community colleges in North Carolina provided extra holidays, including five schools that serve counties in our area. When presented with the findings, the state community college board chairman and acting president says the board plans to pass a rule enforcing the 12-day limit.