NYC Workers Fired For Refusing COVID Vaccine Offered Chance To Get Jobs Back: Mayor

NEW YORK CITY — Mayor Eric Adams announced he is offering 2,900 city employees, who their lost jobs after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a second chance to return to work.

Eligible employees will be able to return to their previous titles and salaries. The policy applies to terminated employees in all mayoral agencies, at New York City Public Schools, and at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA).

“The policies put in place before we came into office helped us weather additional waves of COVID, and once coupled with the policies our administration put in place over the first months of our term, we helped New York City rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic with a record number of jobs, record number of small businesses, near record tourism numbers, and so much more. But we recognize that we are in a different place today than we were nearly four years ago, and our policies should match the realities of the times,” Adams said in a statement.

“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. Ensuring New York City has the strongest workforce possible will continue to make our city safer, more affordable, and the best place to raise a family.”

In 2023, the Adams administration had previously offered former employees who were terminated for not taking the COVID-19 vaccine the opportunity to be reinstated, 450 terminated former employees returned to work as a result.

Former city employees will have a chance to testify on the proposed rules changes at a virtual hearing hosted by the Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services on Nov. 19.

All former permanent competitive and labor class, non-competitive, or exempt employees who were terminated and are interested in returning to city service must contact the head of human resources at their former agency by Dec. 5, according to the mayor's office.

Former mayor Bill de Blasio first announced a COVID-19 mandate for city workers in the fall of 2021. The mandate was eventually lifted in February 2023.