by WorldTribune Staff, November 10, 2025 Real World News
New York City will offer some 2,500 employees who were fired for refusing the mandated Covid injection a chance to get their jobs back but they will not be offered retroactive pay, the office of current Mayor Eric Adams said.
“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.”
More than 2,500 employees will be offered the chance to return to their previous roles with their former pay rate, according to officials. However, these returning employees will not be entitled to retroactive pay.
Adams lifted the vaccine requirement in February 2023 after announcing more than 96% of New York City workers were fully vaccinated, making vaccination optional for current and prospective city workers.
City Councilwoman Joann Ariola criticized Adam’s move to rehire the fired municipal workers as “a clear case of too little too late.”
‘It is absolutely shameful that this mayor sought fit to spend taxpayer dollars to fight their return for his entire mayoralty, and only now on his way out does he see it fit to allow them to return to the jobs they never should have lost to begin with,” the Republican said in a statement. “As a result of this administration’s despicable handling of this situation, we have seen good men and women put out of the jobs they love for years.”
Ariola said Adam’s plan also doesn’t compensate workers for back pay and time for the period they were denied work, “one last denial of justice for a group that has already had their rights and livelihoods unjustly stripped from them for far too long.”
Former employees must meet requirements such as physical exams, fitness tests, or certifications to resume their previous roles, the officials said.
“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 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.”
Adams made a similar offer to workers several years ago, but only about 450 returned to their jobs, according to the administration. The latest plan covers workers who were fired from positions in the New York City public school system and at the New York City Housing Authority, among other agencies.
No retroactive pay for returning NYC workers fired for balking at Covid shots added by Editor Two on
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