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Can I Hold More Than One Civil Service Job Simultaneously in NYC?

On Behalf of | Jun 30, 2020 | Civil Service Employees |

NYC civil employee defense attorney

There are a few rules that those with civil service jobs will have to remember to prevent being disciplined at work. A common question many public employees have is whether or not they are able to hold an additional job on the side to make some extra money. The answer is not so simple, and it depends on the unique circumstances of each situation. If you have any questions regarding your rights as a public employee or need legal defense in response to a disciplinary hearing, make sure to work with an experienced, trusted NYC civil service and job defense attorney.

NYC Dual Employment

New York State law explicitly states that any public employees in the classified service are forbidden from having any other public position on a full- or part-time basis. However, civil service employees are allowed to get the written consent of their employers and take another position.

The next portion of this law states that if public employees want to take any non-public jobs outside of work, they still must gain permission from their supervisors. Whether or not these extra earnings will be granted is determined by the ethics outlined in the Public Officers Law. To be safe, most public employees should try to obtain permission from the Joint Commission on Public Ethics.

Examples of Dual Employment

To understand what dual employment looks like, it can be helpful to look at a few examples. Chaplains who work at jails are public employees, but every jail they work for is considered a separate employer. So, if they spend 20 percent of their time at each of the jails, they would have five positions. In cases like this, there is a Dual Employment/Extra Service Approval Form on the Bureau of State Payroll Services website that can help get this sorted out and to consolidate their pay onto one check.

An instance in which public employees were disciplined for having outside work occurred in 2019 when dozens of MTA workers were caught driving cabs after hours without permission. All of these drivers were either fired or suspended because the MTA Inspector General’s office was concerned that all of these extra hours would result in sleep-deprived, unsafe bus drivers.

Contact a Bronx Civil Service Employment Lawyer

As you can see, getting dual employment verification depends on what your circumstances are. To prevent being punished by New York State civil service laws, make sure to discuss your situation with an NYC civil service job defense attorney. Joey Jackson has spent more than 20 years defending civil service clients in all types of cases. To schedule your consultation, call 1-833-JOEYJACKSON or 833-563-9522 today.

Sources:
https://www.cs.ny.gov/pio/publications/summofcsl.pdf
https://web.osc.state.ny.us/payroll/files/information/payrollsystem/files/payserv_manual/online_manual/Content/Earnings%20Manual/Special%20Employment/Dual%20Employment.htm
https://patch.com/new-york/new-york-city/dozens-mta-workers-caught-driving-cars-extra-cash