                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

TRANSITIONAL SEVERANCE BENEFIT CONFERRED (§ 2.2-3203)

A. On his date of involuntary separation, an eligible employee with (i) two
years&#8217; service or less to the Commonwealth shall be entitled to receive a
transitional severance benefit equivalent to four weeks of salary; (ii) three
years through and including nine years of consecutive service to the
Commonwealth shall be entitled to receive a transitional severance benefit
equivalent to four weeks of salary plus one additional week of salary for every
year of service over two years; (iii) ten years through and including fourteen
years of consecutive service to the Commonwealth shall be entitled to receive a
transitional severance benefit equivalent to twelve weeks of salary plus two
additional weeks of salary for every year of service over nine years; or (iv)
fifteen years or more of consecutive service to the Commonwealth shall be
entitled to receive a transitional severance benefit equivalent to two weeks of
salary for every year of service, not to exceed thirty-six weeks of salary.

B. Transitional severance benefits shall be computed by the terminating
agency&#8217;s payroll department. Partial years of service shall be rounded up
to the next highest year of service.

C. Transitional severance benefits shall be paid in the same manner as normal
salary. In accordance with &#xA7; 60.2-229, transitional severance benefits
shall be allocated to the date of involuntary separation. The right of any
employee who receives a transitional severance benefit to also receive
unemployment compensation pursuant to &#xA7; 60.2-100 et seq. shall not be
denied, abridged, or modified in any way due to receipt of the transitional
severance benefit; however, any employee who is entitled to unemployment
compensation shall have his transitional severance benefit reduced by the amount
of such unemployment compensation. Any offset to a terminated employee&#8217;s
transitional severance benefit due to reductions for unemployment compensation
shall be paid in one lump sum at the time the last transitional severance
benefit payment is made.

D. For twelve months after the employee&#8217;s date of involuntary separation,
the employee shall continue to be covered under the (i) health insurance plan
created in &#xA7; 2.2-2818 for the Commonwealth&#8217;s employees, if he
participated in such plan prior to his date of involuntary separation, and (ii)
group life insurance plan administered by the Virginia Retirement System
pursuant to Chapter 5 (&#xA7; 51.1-500 et seq.) of Title 51.1. During such
twelve months, the terminating agency shall continue to pay its share of the
terminated employee&#8217;s premiums. Upon expiration of such twelve month
period, the terminated employee shall be eligible to purchase continuing health
insurance coverage under COBRA.

E. Transitional severance benefit payments shall cease if a terminated employee
is reemployed or hired in an individual capacity as an independent contractor or
consultant by any agency or institution of the Commonwealth during the time he
is receiving such payments.

F. All transitional severance benefits payable pursuant to this section shall be
subject to applicable federal laws and regulations.

HISTORY: 1995, cc. 152, 811, § 2.1-116.23; 2001, c. 844.