NYC General 5 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Under New York Civil Service Law, a permanent employee facing termination is entitled to:
- An immediate court hearing before any action is taken
- Written notice of charges, a reasonable time to respond, and a hearing (Correct answer)
- A jury trial before removal from service
- A transfer to another agency rather than termination
Correct answer: Written notice of charges, a reasonable time to respond, and a hearing
Civil Service Law Section 75 guarantees permanent employees due process rights including written charges, response time, and a hearing before removal.
Question 2: What is the primary function of the NYC Office of Labor Relations (OLR)?
- To prosecute employees who engage in illegal strikes
- To negotiate and administer collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the city (Correct answer)
- To investigate discrimination complaints filed by city workers
- To administer civil service examinations
Correct answer: To negotiate and administer collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the city
OLR represents the City of New York in collective bargaining negotiations and administers labor contracts with municipal unions.
Question 3: A city employee on approved sick leave is observed working a second job. This situation most likely violates which rule?
- The city's residency requirement
- Agency sick leave policies and potentially the Conflicts of Interest Board rules (Correct answer)
- The employee's union contract wage scale
- DCAS examination administration procedures
Correct answer: Agency sick leave policies and potentially the Conflicts of Interest Board rules
Working another job while on sick leave violates sick leave policies and may also raise conflict-of-interest issues depending on the nature of the outside employment.
Question 4: Which document formally authorizes a city agency to fill a vacant civil service position?
- A civil service eligible list
- A certificate of establishment or staffing authorization from the Budget Bureau/OMB (Correct answer)
- A union grievance form
- A DCAS examination announcement
Correct answer: A certificate of establishment or staffing authorization from the Budget Bureau/OMB
Before filling a vacancy, agencies must have budget authorization, typically evidenced by a personnel staffing authorization from the Office of Management and Budget.
Question 5: An employee with a disability requests a schedule modification to accommodate a medical appointment. Under the NYC Human Rights Law, the employer must:
- Deny the request if it affects productivity even slightly
- Provide a reasonable accommodation unless it causes undue hardship (Correct answer)
- Require the employee to use only unpaid leave for medical appointments
- Immediately transfer the employee to a less demanding position
Correct answer: Provide a reasonable accommodation unless it causes undue hardship
The NYC Human Rights Law requires employers to provide reasonable accommodations for disabilities unless doing so would cause an undue hardship to the organization.
Question 6: In the context of NYC civil service, what is a 'title specification'?
- A letter notifying an employee of a promotion
- A document describing the duties, qualifications, and pay range for a civil service title (Correct answer)
- A union contract article defining job duties
- An annual performance review form
Correct answer: A document describing the duties, qualifications, and pay range for a civil service title
A title specification is the official document that defines the duties, responsibilities, and minimum qualifications required for a specific civil service title.
Question 7: What is the significance of 'veterans' preference' in NYC civil service examinations?
- Veterans are automatically appointed without taking an examination
- Eligible veterans receive additional points added to their passing exam score (Correct answer)
- Veterans are exempted from the probationary period
- Veterans are placed at the top of any eligible list regardless of score
Correct answer: Eligible veterans receive additional points added to their passing exam score
Under New York law, eligible veterans who pass a civil service exam receive additional credit (points) added to their examination score, improving their rank on the eligible list.
NYC General 5
Under New York Civil Service Law, a permanent employee facing termination is entitled to: