State payroll system hits snags

The state's new payroll system has caused thousands to have problems.

Employees across North Carolina have spent months trying to resolve problems with paychecks that are sometimes more than $1,000 short. Pay stubs are confusing, and state workers say they cannot keep track of how much they're owed.

Officials have downplayed the problems, but the State Employees Association of North Carolina has heard from hundreds of angry employees about the incorrect paychecks. The system's call center has received 64,503 questions and complaints since December.

Some state employees say they're falling behind on car and mortgage payments, while others face eviction because of unpaid rent.

State Controller Robert Powell, whose office runs the new payroll and personnel system, said planners anticipated the problems.

"What we're experiencing is not unexpected," he said. "We're operating a new system that is paying about 90,000 people." (N&O)