Southern Nevada Water Authority and Las Vegas Valley Water District employees cash out millions of dollars in unused sick and vacation days.

Editor’s note: This is part of an occasional series of stories gleaned from government compensation data that is not readily available to the public.

What’s in a name? “Terminal sick leave pay” is highly rewarding, despite sounding terrible.

This is the name of a benefit that allows employees with the Southern Nevada Water Authority to cash out sick days when their employment ends. Generous leave accrual policies rarely seen in the private sector — but commonplace for Southern Nevada governmental entities— make for a lucrative payout at taxpayer expense.

Last year, eight employees of the water authority and sister agency the Las Vegas Valley Water District collected upwards of $100,000 in terminal sick leave pay — including two who received more than $200,000 — a Review-Journal analysis