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Bought Out Workers Go Home - Sky Arnold
More than 1500 state employees left their desks for good Friday.
It's the final day of work for those who've agreed to take Governor Phil Bredesen's buyout offer. 1,521 were accepted in the plan.
Larry Cohen is among them. The Department of Human Resources Program Manager has spent the last 29 years working with the state and he says leaving his co-workers is going to be the hardest part.
"These people have lived with my parents dying with me." said Cohen. "It's like leaving a family member."
The buyout offer includes 4 months salary plus $500 for every year of service.
Employees will also receive tuition assistance. Something TDOT administrative assistant Victoria Morrissey says helped her decide to accept the offer.
"Something I've always wanted to do. Didn't think I would ever do it and pretty sure I wouldn't if this hadn't happened," said Morrissey.
Morrissey says she plans to return to college to study something in the medical field.
The state had hoped the buyout would remove 2200 positions and cut some 64 million dollars out of the budget. Officials say the plan ended up about 17 million dollars short.Bought Out Workers Go Home - Sky Arnold
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