New York State Department of Civil Service Announces Examinations Open to All Qualified Individuals

Careers in Labor Services

This TRANSITION EXAMINATION is one of several concepts included in a Memorandum of Intent agreed to by New York State and CSEA, and is designed to provide opportunities for employees within state service.

An open-competitive examination is being held at the same time as this transition examination. Agencies have the option of making appointments from either list. If you meet the requirements for the open-competitive as well as the transition examination, you may wish to apply for both. The appropriate processing fee must be filed for the open-competitive examination.

The eligible list resulting from this transition examination will be used to fill one-year traineeships leading to Unemployment Insurance Reviewing Examiner G-16.

An appointee's performance in the trainee position and in prescribed training and development programs will be observed and evaluated. The prescribed training and development program will include extensive on-the-job training and carefully designed and monitored work experience. An appointee not meeting required standards can be terminated at any time after the initial eight weeks and before completion of the traineeship. An appointee will be placed on leave from their permanent title and will revert to that title if they do not successfully complete the traineeship.

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before October 13, 2007, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State Department of Labor and have had three months of permanent service in a title allocated to G-9 or higher.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before July 13, 2007, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience for Appointment from the Eligible List

Successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list after completing two years of permanent service as a G-9 or higher or one year as a G-13 or higher.

Notes

1. In accordance with Section 52.11 of the Civil Service Law, individuals serving permanently in the non competitive or labor class in a qualifying title (including those serving under Section 55b/c) who otherwise meet the requirements for taking this examination are eligible to compete in this examination.
2. If you meet the Minimum Qualifications, you are also eligible to compete in the Labor Services Representative Trainee Series which is also being held on the same date. Refer to the announcement for Examination No. 00-115.

The Positions

These positions are located in Albany.

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Duties

As an Unemployment Insurance Reviewing Examiner Trainee, you would perform beginning-level professional duties of an Unemployment Insurance Reviewing Examiner under close and continuing supervision, while participating in a one-year training program. Upon successful completion of this program, you would be advanced to Unemployment Insurance Reviewing Examiner, G-16 ($40,424), without further examination.

As an Unemployment Insurance Reviewing Examiner, you would review correspondence from employers relating to matters of tax liability, experience ratings and coverage, and make appropriate determinations based on information presented and additional information obtained from a variety of other sources. You would prepare correspondence to employers and the general public as required; internal memoranda presenting background, analysis, and recommendations in more complex cases for higher review; and interpretations of decisions for use by operating bureaus. You would use computer applications to accomplish many of these activities.

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Subject of Examination

There will be a written test which you must pass in order to be considered for appointment. The written test is designed to test for knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in such areas as:

1. Evaluating conclusions in light of known facts - These questions will consist of a set of facts and a conclusion. You must decide if the conclusion is proved by the facts, disproved by the facts or if the facts are not sufficient to prove or disprove the conclusion. The questions will not be specific to a particular field.
2. Interacting with the public - These questions test for the ability to interact with other people in a courteous and professional manner. Topics include obtaining and presenting information and providing assistance, advice, and customer service to people with diverse needs, perspectives, personalities, and levels of familiarity with agency operations.
3. Understanding, interpreting and applying written material based on unemployment issues under the Labor law - These questions are designed to test how well candidates read, understand, and apply the provisions of the Labor Law to hypothetical case situations. The candidates will be provided with a brief reading selection from the Labor Law, Commissioner's Regulations or a Departmental Directive along with a set of facts describing the hypothetical case situation and be required to answer a series of questions which require applying the law, regulation or directive to the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge of the Labor Law to the test, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabular data in order to arrive at the answers to the questions.
4. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.
5. Understanding and interpreting written material - These questions test how well you comprehend written material. You will be provided with brief reading selections and will be asked questions about the selections. All the information required to answer the questions will be presented in the selections; you will not be required to have any special knowledge relating to the subject areas of the selections.
6. Understanding, interpreting, and applying written material based on selections of law - These questions are designed to test how well candidates can read, understand and apply provisions of law to hypothetical case situations. The candidates will be provided with a brief reading selection of a law, regulation and/or directive along with a set of facts describing the hypothetical situation and be required to answer a series of questions which require applying the law, regulation or directive to the case. The candidates will not be required to bring any knowledge of any particular law to the test, but may be required to perform arithmetic computations or interpret tabular data in order to arrive at the answers to the questions.

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Rank on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime veterans' credits to your final passing score.

Credit for Seniority

Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

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How To Apply

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity in employment, compensation and other terms and conditions of employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, or arrest and/or criminal conviction record unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Religious Accommodation

Most written tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

In addition, it is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to enjoy equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their applications. Further information is available from the Special Arrangements Unit of the Department of Civil Service at 518-457-2487 [press 2, then press 2] in the Albany area, toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 2], or via TDD (telecommunications device for the deaf) at 518-457-8480.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the written test three days before the date of the test, call 518-474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 1].

Multiple Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

With the exception of written tests announced by New York City, if you have applied to take a written test announced by a local jurisdiction (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this written test, you must call 518-474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627 [press 2, then press 1], no later than two weeks before the test date, to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center.

Eligibility for Examination

To be eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

S4/TC1 CDT-jms
Issued: 7/27/07

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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