Mayor Eric Adams offered to rehire thousands of former city workers who were laid off earlier this year for refusing to get vaccinated against the coronavirus; however, there are conditions.
According to the Mayor’s Office, approximately 600 former municipal employees received letters over the weekend informing them that they can be rehired if they receive the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine before June 30.
“Our goal has always been vaccination, rather than termination,” he told the Daily News a city spokesman, who characterized the rehiring drive as the administration’s “final effort” to convince vaccine skeptics.
The spokesperson noted that former workers interested in getting their jobs back will have to receive a second vaccination before August 15, and will not officially get their jobs back until the full vaccination sequence is complete.
“To be clear, no one will be able to resume work or return to payroll under this policy until fully vaccinated,” the spokesperson said.
Adams laid off 1,531 workers in February and March who refused to comply with the city’s municipal vaccination mandate. Of the laid off workers, 956 were employed by the Department of Education.
Adams’ representative said the offer letters that were sent out this weekend were not sent to DOE workers. Rather, DOE employees fired for refusing to get vaccinated will receive similar offers later this summer, according to the News.
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