Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, May 26, 1995                   TAG: 9505260054
SECTION: CURRENT                    PAGE: NRV-1   EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY 
SOURCE: The Associated Press
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Short

NEARLY HALF OF VA. EMPLOYEES DENIED BUYOUT APPEAL DECISION

Last month, the state granted buyouts, equal up to nine months' salary, to about 5,500 of 7,500 applicants. The departing employees represented about 5 percent of Virginia's 113,000-member work force.

Those who were denied an opportunity to leave with a severance package are unhappy, said Joan S. Dent of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association.

``The atmosphere in state government is such that employees who made a decision to leave probably had a very good reason to do that, and ... were extremely disappointed when they were turned down,'' she said.

Employees said to provide vital services were denied buyouts under Gov. George Allen's plan to reduce the size of state government.

Allen announced May 3 that workers turned down for buyouts would get a second chance to seek cash awards to quit state service. Employees had until last Saturday to apply, and most will learn their fate by about June 5.

``We're giving everyone a fair opportunity to take advantage'' of the General Assembly-approved severance package, said L. Clifford Schroeder Jr., communications director for Secretary of Administration Michael E. Thomas, who oversees the state personnel system.

Schroeder said at least 804 workers were appealing the denial of their buyout application. He would not speculate on how many of those would be granted the severance package.