Indera Persaud, CSC Docket No. 2022-2623

BackgroundIndera Persaud appeals the determination of the Division of Agency Services (Agency Services) that she did not meet the experience requirement for the promotional examination for Personnel Aide (PM0395D), Jersey City.

The subject promotional examination was announced with specific requirements which had to be satisfied by the January 21, 2022 closing date. Specifically, the announcement was open to employees who completed 60 semester hour credits at an accredited college or university. It was noted that applicants who did not possess the required education could substitute experience in technical aspects of personnel work on the basis of one year of experience for each 30 semester hour credits. Five individuals were admitted to the examination, one certification (PL221264) was issued, but the certification has not yet been returned for disposition.

A review of the appellant’s application and resume reveals that she did not possess 60 college credits. Since the appellant listed that she possessed 13 college credits, Agency Services credited her with five months of experience for such credits pursuant to the above noted substitution clause. The appellant also indicated that she served as a Clerk 3 from October 2019 to the January 2022 closing date, and from December 2005 to December 2013; as a Principal Account Clerk from December 2013 to October 2019; as a Teacher from September 2001 to July 2007; as a Clerk 2 from December 2001 to December 2005; and as a Clerk from March 1997 to December 2001. She described her duties, in relevant part, as customer service, transportation, meeting with child study teams, receiving payroll sheets, organizing fire drills, issuing correspondence, distributing bus tickets, creating requisitions for field trips, receiving money for purchase orders, verifying purchase orders, ordering supplies, reconciling petty cash, overseeing budgets, completing reports and audits, mailing bid specifications, issuing forms for bid approvals, maintaining bid records, maintaining pay data, calculating payroll, inputting payroll, and teaching computer programs. Agency Services concluded that none of the appellant’s work experience listed on the subject application satisfied the subject requirements. Accordingly, Agency Services determined that the appellant was ineligible for the examination, as she lacked one year and seven months of applicable experience.

Appellant's argumentOn appeal, the appellant asserts, among other things, that she possesses 13 years of payroll experience, and since December 2005, her duties have included working on routine personnel matters. In support, she submits a resume which lists duties that were different than the duties listed with the resume on file with her application. As such, she maintains that her experience is sufficient to satisfy the above noted requirements.

CONCLUSION

RuleN.J.A.C. 4A:4-2.6(a) provides that applicants shall meet all requirements specified in the promotional announcement by the closing date. N.J.A.C. 4A:1-1.2(c) provides that a rule may be relaxed for good cause in a particular situation. Initially, it is noted that Agency Services correctly credited the appellant with five months of experience for the 13 college credits listed on her application. The appellant argues on appeal that she possesses 13 years of payroll experience, and work experience on other personnel matters. The primary focus of the duties the appellant listed on her application and original resume that she performed did not include technical aspects of personnel work. Rather, the appellant indicated that her duties included customer service, transportation, meeting with child study teams, receiving payroll sheets, organizing fire drills, issuing correspondence, distributing bus tickets, creating requisitions for field trips, receiving money for purchase orders, verifying purchase orders, ordering supplies, reconciling petty cash, overseeing budgets, completing reports and audits, mailing bid specifications, issuing forms for bid approvals, maintaining bid records, maintaining pay data, calculating payroll, inputting payroll, and teaching computer programs. In this regard, applicable experience must have as its primary focus the duties and responsibilities required for the title under test. See In the Matter of Bashkim Vlashi (MSB, decided June 9, 2004). Moreover, although the appellant now states on appeal that her duties included the hiring, promotion, demotion, dismissal, assignment, resignation, labor relations, and health benefits of employees, she did not indicate such information in her application. N.J.A.C. 4A:4- 2.1(f) provides that an application may only be amended prior to the announced closing date. Therefore, the new information provided by the appellant on appeal cannot now be considered.

ORDER

Therefore, it is ordered that this appeal be denied.

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