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In this two-part series and follow-up stories, the Record details the cost of retirement deals that allows public employees to cash in on unused sickdays and vacation and compensatory time. This type of retirement deal, which was offered as an incentive decades ago and is "virtually unheard of in private industry," had outgrown its use, the paper reports. But efforts to curb the payouts have failed, and the payouts could eventually cost New Jersey taxpayers up to $1 billion.