Anita Wagner, CSC Docket No. 2021-1492

BackgroundAnita Wagner appeals the determination of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) which found that she did not meet the experience requirements for the promotional examination for Administrative Assistant 3 (PC2218B), Atlantic County.

The subject examination announcement was issued with a closing date of March 23, 2020, and was open to employees in the competitive division who had an aggregate of one year of continuous permanent service as of the closing date in any competitive title and who met the announced requirements. These requirements included graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university, and one year of experience in a business or government agency providing administrative support services and/or coordinating work activities. Applicants who did not possess the required education could substitute applicable experience on a year for year basis. As there were no eligible candidates, the examination was cancelled on April 17, 2021.

Appellant's argumentThe appellant indicated that she possessed no college credits, and as such, was required to have five years of applicable experience. The appellant listed four positions on her application: provisional Administrative Assistant 3, Keyboarding Clerk 3, Keyboarding Clerk 2 (Senior Clerk Typist), and Keyboarding Clerk 1 (Clerk Typist). She was credited with three years in her provisional position, and was found to be lacking two years per the substitution clause for education.

On appeal, the appellant provides a narrative of her duties from 2012 forward, describing tasks and the time frame she worked on each., and argues that her duties have been steadily increasing. In support, the Division of Human Resources (Human Resources), Atlantic County, verifies that the appellant has been performing out-of- title duties consistent with the requirements for the subject title in the Keyboarding Clerk title series since 2012. Human Resources details the various duties the appellant has performed since 2012 and requests that the Civil Service Commission (Commission) accept her out-of-title work and admit her to the subject examination.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(a) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the promotional examination announcement by the closing date. N.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(c) provides in pertinent part that applicants for promotional examinations with open competitive requirements may not use experience gained as a result of out-of-title work to satisfy the requirements for admittance to the examination or for credit in the examination process, unless good cause is shown for an exception.

AnalysisInitially, Agency Services correctly determined that the appellant was not eligible for the subject examination. As of the announced closing date, the appellant was properly credited with three years of applicable experience based on her provisional service in the title under test. However, Human Resources has verified that the appellant has performed the applicable out-of-title duties since 2012 while serving in the Keyboarding Clerk title series. Additionally, the examination was cancelled due to a lack of applicants and the appellant continues to serve provisionally in the title under test. Although the appellant’s out-of-title experience does not precisely mirror the requirements contained in the announcement, the Commission is satisfied that the totality of her varied levels of experience, as verified by Human Resources, as far back as June 2012, as well as her provisional experience after the closing date, warrants her admission to the subject examination

The decision in this matter is limited to the facts of this situation and shall not be used as precedent in any other matter.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be granted, the examination cancellation be rescinded, and that the appellant’s application be processed for prospective employment opportunities.

ClosingThis is the final administrative determination in this matter. Any further review should be pursued in a judicial forum.