Fairfax County is choosing to eliminate employees who work 11 months a year without health benefits. The positions have run afoul of new federal health requirements.

Some of the employees will be able to apply for new full-time jobs with full benefits, but at least some will be out of their jobs entirely.

The process of eliminating and reposting the jobs will create about 400 new merit positions, said Merni Fitzgerald, director of public affairs. These new positions will be advertised for competitive applicants throughout the year.

Current limited-term employees have been notified of the plan since October, Fitzgerald said. There is no hard date for when current workers will know what's in store for their positions. The process will be ongoing, throughout the year.

Fitzgerald did not know how many employees the change would affect or how much money it will cost the county.

One employee expects his position to go full-time and to be advertised shortly after the end of the month. Like other county employees, he'll have a chance to apply for the amended position.

But he doesn't have high hopes for securing the full-time position, even if the job requirements don't change much.

"It sucks," he said. "I'm not technically being laid off. But it's beyond my supervisors' control."

The process won't eliminate all non-benefit positions. Those positions that require 900 hours or less of work will not get any new healthcare provisions. Other positions will have only some benefits (i.e. eligible without holiday pay).