Mecklenburg County provides insurance coverage for employees. Dependent insurance is the responsibility of the employee. Mecklenburg County continually evaluates insurance provider services to ensure the very best, most reasonable coverage is available to employees. Detailed insurance information will be provided and options explained at the new employee orientation.
RETIREMENT - Medical Insurance
Employees retiring from Mecklenburg County may be eligible to remain on the County’s medical insurance. Anyone employed by Mecklenburg County for the first time after July 1, 2010 will not be eligible to remain on the County’s medical insurance upon retirement. Please refer to the Benefits section of the Human Resources Policy for a full description of the eligibility requirements.
Comprehensive dental coverage is provided to all of our employees. Employees can receive treatment from the dentist of their choice depending upon their selection of enhanced or standard benefits.
Permanent County Employees are covered for 1 times their annual salary. Dependent coverage of $10,000 is available. Employees may purchase additional life insurance, if desired.
Vacation accrues from the first day of service and is authorized for use by all regular employees from the first day of employment. Temporary employees are not eligible for vacation benefits. Maximum accrual of benefits is based on the employee's normal schedule.
Regular employees accrue vacation on a bi-weekly basis determined by the length of service (aggregate date in the retirement system or qualifying County service date). The accrual rate is as follows:
| Length Of Service | Approximate Hours Per Annum (40 Hour Week) |
Hours Earned Per Regularly Scheduled Hours Worked |
| Under 2 years | 80 | .03847 |
| 2 - 5 years | 96 | .04616 |
| 5 - 10 years | 120 | .05770 |
| 10 - 15 years | 144 | .06924 |
| 15 - 20 years | 168 | .08077 |
| Over 20 years | 192 | .09231 |
Vacation leave accrued in excess of 30 days or 240 hours during a calendar year will be converted to sick leave at the end of each calendar year.
Employees who leave the County employment will be paid for accrued vacation time up to a maximum of 240 hours. Any exceptions to the policy must be approved in advance by the Board of County Commissioners.
Four hours of vacation leave shall be awarded to the accumulated benefit of the regular full-time employee who does not use sick leave and/or LWOP for a period of seven consecutive pay periods. A regular part-time employee will receive the corresponding percentage of vacation leave.
| Revised: July 11, 1994 | Revised: November 16, 2004 | Revised: October 4, 2011 |
Sick leave with pay is designed to provide regular full-time and part-time employees with some measure of relief from the financial burdens caused by loss of earnings during periods of personal illness. Sick leave is not intended to provide time off for recreation, personal reasons, or to extend vacations. Temporary employees are not eligible for sick leave benefits.
The following policies govern sick leave:
A program providing counseling and referral assistance in dealing with personal problems ranging from drug or alcohol dependency, to marital or financial problems, to work-related stress. EAP services are available, at no cost, to eligible employees and their family members 24 hours a day.
In addition to workout locations within MCSO facilities, for a nominal membership fee, employees can join the County’s Fitness Center. The Center has state-of-the-art weight resistance and cardiovascular equipment, locker rooms and showers, and a variety of group exercise classes and wellness programs. The Mecklenburg County Aquatic Center, located at 800 East Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd, has state-of-the-art swim facilities including a 50-meter competition pool, 25-yard warm instructional pool, 1-meter and 3-meter diving boards, hot tub, and full circuit fitness center. County employees receive a reduced rate membership.
Automatic membership with the North Carolina Local Governmental Retirement System administered by the State. Employee contributes mandatory 6% of gross wages. Participation is required.
Non-sworn: Vested after five years service. Full benefit at age 65, or 30 years service; or age 60 and 25 years service. Reduced benefit at age 50 with 20 years’ service or age 60 with five years. Retirement based on years and salary.
RETIREMENT - Medical Insurance
Employees retiring from Mecklenburg County may be eligible to remain on the County’s medical insurance. Anyone employed by Mecklenburg County for the first time after July 1, 2010 will not be eligible to remain on the County’s medical insurance upon retirement. Please refer to the Benefits section of the Human Resources Policy for a full description of the eligibility requirements.
Mecklenburg County offers employees three deferred compensation plans:
A 457 Plan administered by ICMA-RC. Employees can defer from 2% to 25% ($8,000 maximum) of annual gross earnings.
NC 457 plan administered by Prudential Retirement. Employees may contribute up to a total of $17,000
A 401(k) Plan administered by BB&T for law enforcement officers and general County employees. Employees can defer from $10.00 to 20% ($10,000 maximum) of annual gross earnings. The County contributes 5% for law enforcement officers as mandated by the State of North Carolina.
Mecklenburg County provides matching contributions of up to 5% of gross salary when the employee contributes to one or a combination of these plans. The county also contributes 5% of gross salary into the NC 401(k) plan for sworn law enforcement officers as mandated by the State of North Carolina.
Employees may become members of two local credit unions which offer a full range of savings/loan options. Visit the credit union websites at Charlotte Metro Credit Union http://www.cmcu.org/ or the Local Government Federal Credit Union https://www.lgfcu.org/
The County allows and encourages you to take time off of your regular schedule to volunteer in the community or at your child's school. The County will match your time away with an equal number of hours of paid leave, for approved volunteer opportunities, up to 24 hours a year.
The County encourages employees to improve their skills and enhance their professional growth through continuing educational opportunities.
The County Training Office offers many excellent in-house workshops to address the ongoing needs of the employees and the organization. If the training you need is not offered, the Training Office can work with you and your supervisor to find the appropriate resource in the community and will arrange for discount rates if possible.
Provided at no cost (if applicable).
Employees receive recognition in the form of family events such as the Easter Egg hunt, Children’s Christmas party, and the annual Family and Friends Day. The Sheriff also provides an annual employee appreciation luncheon. Employees may be recognized in front of peers, supervisors, Command & Executive level staff with a Quality Achievement Award, Training Certifications, or Service level awards.
Applications are submitted electronically through our website, over the phone, or by walking into the Recruiting office, located at 901 Elizabeth Ave, 5th Floor, Charlotte NC 28204.
On Physical Assessment day applicants are required to have their completed physician release form, signed and stamped by practitioner, and readable, current, non-expired state or government issued identification. Applicants should arrive dressed for physical activities which include the following timed events:
The purpose of this physical test is to measure an officer’s physical ability to respond to a critical incident and apprehend or potentially control MCSO residents and or suspects.
Applicants that are successful in passing each component of the physical assessment will stay for a brief information session.
Upon passing the Physical Assessment and completing the required paperwork, applicants will be contacted by a recruiter to schedule his/her psychological evaluation. Each applicant will receive an email confirmation from The FMRT Group that will include the doctor’s office location and information they need to complete prior to arriving for their evaluation. Applicants that are found psychological suitable will proceed to the next phase. Applicants that are traveling more than 2 hours to take the psychological evaluation will also have the option to have their interview completed the same day.
The applicant will have a formal interview with their assigned recruiter. During this interview each applicant should bring all documents received from our agency. All documents should be completed in black ink only & no whiteout can be used. Applicants must know that during your interview the recruiter will be verifying documents and making sure that each applicant provides all personal information for the past 10 years. Applicants that have a positive interview will have their background investigation initiated and it can take up to 25 business days to complete.
After clearing a background investigation your file will be submitted for approval. You will have a medical evaluation administered by the agency provided Physician, be fingerprinted, take a photo id for the agency, and be fitted for uniforms. Applicants should allow 2 days to complete this process because of the multiple steps that have to be completed.
Denied Applicants
Applicants denied employment during any stage of the application process must wait six months from the date of rejection before they may reapply.
This is the final phase in our application process. You will receive a formal offer of employment with start date and an itinerary of where you report on the first date.
At this time any questions concerning benefits should be addressed with a Human Resource representative.
First you must submit your application online. Once submitted, your application will go through a preliminary screening. If selected, you will be notified by email as to the next step in the process.
No, we are unable to accept calls to check on the status of your application. Due to the high volume of applications received, processing time varies from month to month. You will be notified by email once your application has gone through the preliminary screening.
Yes
No, in most cases, a new deputy will start in Arrest Processing.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office does not recognize certifications issued by other states. MCSO will provide all the necessary training during the ten-week Detention Officer Certification Course. This training will be required for both Detention Officers and Deputy Sheriffs hired in Mecklenburg County. Also, deputies, prior to submitting an application, must already possess a valid North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Certification.
A large majority of applicants are from other states or outside the Charlotte-Mecklenburg area. We do our very best to minimize trips by attempting to consolidate as many appointments as possible. An "out of area" applicant can expect to make approximately four trips during the application process. This is true for both Deputy Sheriff and Detention Officer applicants.
Because of our parallel career track the Sheriff prefers that you continue in the field for which you were hired. However, some detention officers do transfer to a deputy sheriff position when an opening occurs. In order to be considered for a transfer, you must remain in good standings as a Detention Officer for at least 3 years. You must then obtain - on your own time - the Basic Law Enforcement Training Certification (BLET). The Mecklenburg County Sheriff’s Office does not offer a BLET school, nor will MCSO sponsor a candidate for BLET.
No. A college degree in Criminal Justice or current certification is a plus, but does not guarantee a candidate will be hired based on the degree and or certification alone. All applicants for any position must successfully complete the application process in order to be considered for hire.
All applicants are required to meet current recruitment standards. A previous conviction does not necessarily mean disqualification; however, anyone charged or convicted of a felony should not apply.
The Mecklenburg County Sheriff's Office does not penalize employees for residing in other states. However, we do require a deputy sheriff to reside within a 50-mile radius of Jail Central located at 801 East Fourth Street, Charlotte, NC 28202.
No, recruiters are constantly reviewing applications, so you do not need to reapply. Once your application is reviewed, a recruiter will be in touch by email to explain the next step. Because of the need for good employees, MCSO accepts applications on a monthly basis.
