Overview
The Personnel Department administers New York State Civil Service requirements for the County Government, and the Towns, Villages, School Districts, and Special Districts within Ulster County, excluding City of Kingston. The Civil Service System provides an orderly method of personnel transaction including classification, selection, and retention. Civil Service regulates various personnel activities of employees through their careers in government, such as their appointment, promotion, transfer and separation. New York State has a "merit system" of public employment whose goal is to ensure that employees in the public service are selected from among those who are the most highly qualified, generally through competitive examination.
Criminal Background Investigation Policy - In accordance with Ulster County Local Law Number 14 of 2007, a criminal background check (including fingerprinting) will be initiated by the Ulster County Personnel Department upon initial employment or re-hire to Ulster County positions, and conducted by the New York State Division of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS), the New York State Office of Court Administration, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services Verification Information System (IMAGE Program), or any law enforcement agency.
A more complete overview of Civil Service is available here.
Employee Benefit Administration
The Ulster County Employee Benefits unit conducts all new employee orientations. This activity acquaints employees with the benefits offered by the County, as well as provides assistance with completion of tax and identification forms. Retirement system application processing and health insurance enrollment assistance are also provided.
Employee Benefits is also responsible for all administration of health insurance including but not limited to premium rate negotiation, enrollment and termination processing, state and federal compliance, COBRA administration and assisting employees/retirees with questions, concerns and/or problems.
Employee Benefits is the county's interface to the New York State Department of Labor to address unemployment issues.
The Personnel Department handles the negotiations for the collective bargaining agents (CSEA, CWA, PBA). We negotiate the contracts, respond to contract interpretation, respond to grievance procedures and arbitrations. This office also responds to improper practices and all of the other issues relative to contract administration.
The Ulster County-CSEA Labor/Management Committee (LMC) has existed since 1979 as part of the CSEA Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Committee, which is comprised of representatives from the Civil Service Employees' Association (CSEA) and Ulster County Management, works to openly and cooperatively address issues of mutual interest and concern which are neither contractual nor personal grievances. Workplace safety and security, employee health education, cost containment, recruitment and retention, alternative work schedules, and performance appraisals are just some of the topics the Committee has addressed over the years.
The LMC process is unique in that all decisions are made by consensus rather than majority vote. This means that, if any one person is not comfortable with a proposed solution, there is no consensus and the solution must be reworked to the point where every member of the Committee can support the final outcome. Consensus ensures that each member has an equal voice in decision making and equal ownership of the outcomes.
The LMC Program provides a forum for employees at all levels to take an active part in improving the quality of their work and the quality of their work environment. Staff are encouraged to get involved in the process by contacting their representatives with questions, ideas and suggestions; participating in surveys; and volunteering for subcommittees.
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