Mayor Adams Offers Former Employees Who Were Terminated For Refusing COVID Vaccine Second Opportunity To Return To City Employment

November 5, 2025

Offer Includes Right to Return to Former Title and Salary Without Retroactive Compensation for Time Not Served

Under Mayor Adams' Leadership, City Has Fully Recovered From COVID-19 Pandemic, New Policy Reflects Changed Reality

NEW YORK - New York City Mayor Eric Adams today announced the city will offer employees terminated for failing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate - first issued in 2021 under the previous mayoral administration - a second opportunity to return to city service in their former civil service titles and at their former salaries. This policy will apply to terminated employees in all mayoral agencies, at New York City Public Schools, and at the New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA). Approximately 2,900 terminated employees will be offered the opportunity to return to their jobs at the same rate of pay for which that title is currently paid, but without any credit for the time they did not serve the city, and with no right to backpay. Under Mayor Adams' leadership, New York City has fully recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic with all-time high record levels of jobs, small businesses, and more, as well as the second-highest number of tourists in city history last year.

"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," said Mayor Adams. "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."

"As we surpass five years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to reevaluate policies to reflect current realities," said New York City Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS) Commissioner Louis A. Molina. "We are committed to working with agencies to offer employment opportunities for employees terminated for failing to comply with the COVID-19 vaccine mandate."

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, resulting in approximately 450 terminated former employees returning to work. This new policy will, once again, specifically allow eligible employees who were terminated for not being vaccinated the option to return to city service, pursuant to a proposed rule change by DCAS, subject to a public hearing and approval by the New York state Civil Service Commission. Non-competitive employees are eligible to return to city employment without any change to existing civil service rules. New York City Public Schools school-based staff are also eligible to return to employment without a change in rules.

Former employees who require a physical exam, fitness test, or other training or examination requirements, including certification, to return to their former position will still be subject to such requirements as a condition of reinstatement. In addition, there will be a limited background review of subsequent history. 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 December 5, 2025. Employees terminated from New York City Public Schools should contact [email protected], and employees terminated from NYCHA should contact [email protected].

CONTACT: [email protected], (212) 788-2958