BILL NUMBER: S5053

SPONSOR: LANZA
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act granting George Jensen an earlier starting date with the New York
City Department of Sanitation

 
PURPOSE:

This bill would grant George Jensen, due to an administrative error, an
earlier start date with the New York City Department of Sanitation.

 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:

Section one would grant George Jensen, who is employed by the New York
City Department of Sanitation, retroactive seniority time due to an
internal error that was not ascribable to his own negligence.

Section two is the effective date.

 
              

JUSTIFICATION:

George Jensen is a current employee with the New York City Department of
Sanitation who started his employment on November 1, 2021. Mr.  Jensen
was scheduled to start with the Department on August 1, 2021 but due to
an administrative error, he was told that he was unqualified for employ-
ment because of a medical issue. This medical disqualification actually
belonged to another individual with a similar name, who also shared the
same date of birth, not Mr. Jensen.  Mr. Jensen appealed, his appeal was
denied due to the administrative error being repeated. Upon a second
appeal and advocacy on behalf of the bill sponsor's office, the error
was realized and Mr. Jensen was granted approval to begin November 1,
2021. Because of this error, thousands of new employees where hired
before him and they have much earlier start dates. Additionally, this
error, that was not ascribable to his own negligence, made Mr. Jensen
lose three months of seniority time. This bill is necessary to rectify
this error since all administrative options have been exhausted.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2022: S.9524 - Referred to Rules

 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:

None.

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect immediately.