Hundreds of New York City workers who were fired for refusing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate will soon have the chance to return to their old jobs, Mayor Eric Adams announced Wednesday.
The city will offer approximately 2,900 terminated employees an opportunity to return to their former civil service titles, at their former salaries, he said in a release. City Hall said employees might not be offered the exact same job, as it may have already been filled.
What You Need To Know
The city is offering about 2,900 workers fired over the COVID-19 vaccine mandate a chance to return to their former civil service titles at their previous salaries
Returning employees will not receive back pay or credit for time missed
City Hall says agencies may need to reorganize to accommodate returning workers, with funding in place to do so
The offer comes amid roughly 14,000 vacancies across city agencies, according to the comptroller’s office
The offer applies to workers across all mayoral agencies, at city public schools and at the New York City Housing Authority, according to the release.
Those who return will not receive back pay or credit for time missed since their termination, the release noted.
In a statement, Adams said the policies put in place by the de Blasio administration “helped us weather additional waves of COVID,” but added that the city is “in a different place today than we were nearly four years ago, and our policies should match the realities of the times.”
“That’s why we are updating our policies to reflect our new health and economic reality, as we look forward to welcoming back many of our former employees to their former positions,” he said.
Under Adams, the city previously reinstated about 450 former employees who were terminated over the vaccine requirement.
The new policy expands that opportunity to all eligible former city workers, pending a proposed rule change by the city Department of Citywide Administrative Services and approval by the New York State Civil Service Commission following a public hearing, the release said.
Non-competitive city employees and school-based staff will be eligible to return without a rule change, the release added.
Former workers whose positions require physical exams, fitness tests or certifications to resume must complete those requirements before reinstatement.
City Hall officials said if an employee’s former department is fully staffed, agencies may need to reorganize to accommodate returning workers, and funding is in place to support that effort.
Former employees interested in returning must contact their agency’s human resources department by Dec. 5.
Those previously employed by the city’s public schools can email NYCPSServicereturn2025@schools.nyc.gov, and former NYCHA employees can reach out to HR.Laborel@nycha.nyc.gov, City Hall said.
The hiring opportunity comes as city agencies continue to face staffing shortages. As of Oct. 31, there were roughly 14,000 vacancies across city government, according to data from the city comptroller’s office.