The state of Tennessee is phasing out the bonuses state workers receive for staying on the job.

Tennessee lawmakers voted Monday night to continue giving current employees “longevity bonuses” of up to $3,000 a year. But new hires will not get the payments.

That will eventually free up money for more merit-based raises, says House Majority Leader Gerald McCormick (R-Chattanooga).

“We’ve made a philosophical decision to pay people based on performance and not just years of service,” he said.

Gov. Bill Haslam had wanted to get rid of longevity pay for all state workers. But lawmakers said that would be too drastic a change for public employees, who have come to rely on the bonuses to supplement their salaries.