Managers in California's government routinely ignore official limits on the number of vacation days their employees can save, compelling the state to cut huge checks — many worth six figures — for unused time off when workers retire. Prison doctor Fong Lai received $594,976 when he retired in 2010. Jay Wickizer, an administrator for the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, saved about the same number of days, resulting in a $294,440 check upon his retirement last year. The controller's office cannot tell how many employees do this, because payroll records offer no way of tracking it.