Employment Opportunities & Benefits

Overview of Benefits for Full-time Employees

Retirement

• The Town provides a defined benefit pension plan which is mandatory and a traditional 401K deferred savings plan which is mandatory for law enforcement officers but optional for general employees.  The Town is also required by NC General Statutes to pay each officer, upon retirement, a separation allowance if the officer meets qualifying conditions set forth in the General Statutes.

Pension

• The Town participates in the Local Governmental Employees' Retirement System through the State of North Carolina.  Employees working a regular position averaging 1,000 or more work hours per year must be enrolled and contributing a percentage of their salary.  The Town makes a contribution for all general employees and law enforcement officers in addition to the employee's contribution. The Town also contributes a percentage of employees' salaries into the state retirement system for retiree health coverage.

401(K)

• The plan is administered through Prudential Retirement.  The Town must contribute at least 5 percent of each law enforcement officer's compensation.  The Town makes a matching contribution of up to 5 percent for general employees including firefighters.

Law Enforcement Officer Separation Allowance

• The Town is required by General Statutes to pay each officer upon retirement a special separation allowance equal to 0.85 percent of the annual equivalent to the officer's last base rate of pay, multiplied by the officer's number of years of creditable service if the officer meets certain qualifying conditions set forth in the General Statutes.

Worker's Compensation

• The Town is required either to purchase third-party worker's compensation insurance or to self-fund a program to provide for medical coverage, rehabilitation expenses, and loss of income for employees who have suffered on the job injuries or illnesses.  By statute, the worker's compensation benefit is 66.66 percent of the injured worker's average weekly wage.  The benefit is tax-free and therefore approximates an employee's take-home pay.

Unemployment Benefits

• The NC Employment Security Act requires NC local government employers to participate in its employer-financed program to provide partial income replacement benefits to employees who have lost their jobs.  The Town, unlike private employers, is not subject to the payroll tax that funds unemployment benefits unless they choose to participate in the program on an experience-rated basis.  The Town participates on a so-called reimbursement basis under which pays the ESC for the amounts that the ESC has expended in providing unemployment benefits to former employees.

_{The Town of Lake Lure is an Equal Opportunity Employer and considers applicants for all positions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, marital or veteran status, sexual orientation, or any other legally protected status.}

_{Lake Lure has a year round-population of 1,214 and a seasonal population of several thousand. As a tourism-dependent community, visitation often peaks out at more than 16,000 visitors a year.}