Janitors

If you previously applied for this examination scheduled for March 14, 2020, which was postponed, you do NOT need to reapply. Your application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the qualifications to take the examination. Additional information will be sent to previous applicants via email.

Due to current testing space limitations, candidates may need to travel to a test site to take this examination. Candidates will be notified of their test site location on their admission notice.

Interdepartmental promotion examination open to all qualified employees of New York State.

For Promotion in State Departments, Facilities, and Agencies

1. Within Promotion Units 2. Within Entire Departments 3. To Other Departments

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Minimum Qualifications

On or before March 23, 2024*, you must be a qualified employee of the New York State and have had:

For No. 38-578: three months of permanent competitive, non-competitive, labor, or 55-b/55-c service as a Janitor, Housekeeper, Supervising Housekeeper, or Facility Operations Assistant 2.

NOTE: Service as a Cleaner is NOT qualifying.

For No. 38-579: three months of permanent competitive, non-competitive, labor, or 55-b/55-c service as a Supervising Janitor.

For No. 38-580:

Either A. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Head Janitor;

Or B. three months of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Supervising Janitor or Public Buildings Manager 1.

Only the title or titles listed are qualifying.

If you were permanently appointed to a qualifying title on or before December 23, 2023*, and have served continuously in this title since that date, you are eligible to file for this examination.

Qualifying Experience For Appointment From The Eligible List:

For Nos. 38-578 & 38-579: After one year of service described in the Minimum Qualifications, successful candidates will be qualified for appointment from the eligible list.

For No. 38-580:

Either A. one year of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Head Janitor;

Or B. two years of permanent competitive or 55-b/55-c service as a Supervising Janitor or Public Buildings Manager 1.

Eligibles who meet the ?B? qualifications, and who are subsequently appointed to an ?A? title, may request to have their name added to the ?A? list, once they have completed the one year of service in the ?A? title. The request should be submitted in writing to the NYS Department of Civil Service, Albany, New York 12239; Attention: S3-SEP.

Order of Certification: The order of certification of this eligible list will be:

1. Promotion Unit "A" eligibles   4. Department "All" eligibles

2. Promotion Unit "All" eligibles  5. Interdepartmental "A" eligibles

3. Department "A" eligibles       6. Interdepartmental "All" eligibles

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Duties

As a Supervising Janitor, you would supervise a staff of Janitors and Cleaners and may be responsible for all cleaning activities for an entire campus, or group of public buildings and grounds, or all campus cleaning activities on an assigned shift, under the direction of a Head or Chief Janitor or higher-level administrative staff. You would plan and schedule staff assignments and cleaning services, supervise the proper distribution and control of new cleaning equipment and supplies, inspect buildings and assigned areas for compliance with cleaning guidelines, prepare reports such as work activity and cost reports, and supervise the arrangement of premises for special occasions. You would also interview and select staff, establish training standards and train new staff, resolve personnel problems, evaluate work performance, and take appropriate disciplinary action. You may administer a cleaning contract where necessary.

As a Head Janitor, you would supervise a large staff, including several Supervising Janitors, and may be responsible for all cleaning activities for an entire campus, or group of public buildings and grounds, under the direction of a Chief Janitor or higher-level administrative staff. You would plan and schedule staff assignments and cleaning services, supervise the proper distribution and control of new cleaning equipment and supplies, inspect buildings and assigned areas for compliance with cleaning guidelines, prepare reports such as work activity and cost reports, and supervise the arrangement of premises for special occasions. You would also interview and select staff, establish training standards and train new staff, resolve personnel problems, evaluate work performance, and take appropriate disciplinary action. You may administer a cleaning contract where necessary.

As a Chief Janitor, you would supervise a very large staff and be responsible for all campus cleaning activities, under the direction of a higher-level administrative staff. You would plan and schedule staff assignments and cleaning services, supervise the proper distribution and control of new cleaning equipment and supplies, inspect buildings and assigned areas for compliance with cleaning guidelines, prepare reports such as work activity and cost reports, and supervise the arrangement of premises for special occasions. You would also interview and select staff, establish training standards and train new staff, resolve personnel problems, evaluate work performance, and take appropriate disciplinary action. You may administer a cleaning contract where necessary.

Notes:

1. In accordance with Section 52.11 of the Civil Service Law, individuals serving permanently in the non-competitive or labor class in a qualifying title (including those serving under Section 55b/c) who otherwise meet the requirements for taking the examination are eligible to compete in this promotion examination.
2. The Supervising Janitor examination is being held on a promotion and open-competitive basis. If you are admitted to the promotion examination under anticipated eligibility (i.e., you do not have the required one year of Qualifying Experience For Appointment From The Eligible List) and if you meet the open-competitive minimum qualifications, you may also be admitted to the open-competitive examination. To be admitted, you must apply for the open-competitive examination according to the instructions given on the open-competitive announcement. Once you meet the required one year of qualifying service for appointment from the promotion list, you will not be eligible for appointment from the open-competitive eligible list.

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Subject of Examination

To be considered for appointment to this title, you must pass the multiple-choice test. The multiple-choice test evaluates your knowledge, skills, and/or abilities in the following areas:	For Examination Numbers
	38-578	38-579	38-580
1. Building cleaning - These questions test for knowledge of basic principles and practices of building cleaning. They cover such areas as equipment, tools, supplies, methods and procedures for cleaning different types of surfaces and materials under various, commonly occurring circumstances.	X	X	X
2. Preparing written material - These questions test for the ability to present information clearly and accurately, and to organize paragraphs logically and comprehensibly. For some questions, you will be given information in two or three sentences followed by four restatements of the information. You must then choose the best version. For other questions, you will be given paragraphs with their sentences out of order. You must then choose, from four suggestions, the best order for the sentences.	X	X	X
3. Ability to read and follow written instructions - These questions test for the ability to read, understand and apply written instructions for performing tasks similar to those encountered on the job. All the information needed to answer these questions will be provided in the test booklet.	X
4. Supervision and training - These questions test for the knowledge required by a supervisor to set goals, plan and organize work, train workers in how to do their jobs, and direct workers towards meeting established goals. The supervisory questions cover such areas as assigning and reviewing work, evaluating performance, maintaining work quality, motivating employees, increasing efficiency, and dealing with problems that may arise on the job. The training questions cover such areas as determining the necessity for training, selecting appropriate training methods, and evaluating the effectiveness of training.	X
5. Work planning and scheduling - These questions test for knowledge of the principles used in developing and implementing work plans and for the ability to arrange work assignments in a manner that will achieve work goals while staying within scheduling criteria. This may include setting up vacation or work schedules, taking into consideration such factors as seniority, work skills, duty hours, and shift coverage.		X	X
6. Administrative supervision - These questions test for knowledge of the principles and practices involved in directing the activities of a large subordinate staff, including subordinate supervisors. Questions relate to the personal interactions between an upper level supervisor and their subordinate supervisors in the accomplishment of objectives. These questions cover such areas as assigning work to and coordinating the activities of several units, establishing and guiding staff development programs, evaluating the performance of subordinate supervisors, and maintaining relationships with other organizational sections.		X	X
7. Administrative techniques and practices - These questions test for a knowledge of management techniques and practices used in directing or assisting in directing a program component or an organizational segment. Questions cover such areas as interpreting policies, making decisions based on the context of the position in the organization, coordinating programs or projects, communicating with employees or the public, planning employee training, and researching and evaluating areas of concern.			X

If you pass, your seniority credit(s), if any, will be included in the computation of your final score. Your final score on the eligible list will be determined after adding any wartime Veterans' credits.

Credit For Seniority: Seniority is credited at the rate of one credit for each five-year period (or fraction thereof), excluding the first year of service.

Admission To The Test: If approved for a multiple-choice test, you will receive an admission notice which will indicate your assigned test date and the way your test will be administered. Your test may be administered with paper and pencil or online at a state test site using a state-provided Chromebook. You cannot request to change your scheduled day or request a specific type of test administration.

Applicants are required to have a Personal NY.gov account and keep their email address up to date. The Department of Civil Service and other state agencies will communicate with you through email correspondence. This may include the notification of your test arrangements, examination results, and canvassing you for interest in appointment. It will be important for you to keep your email address, phone number, and mailing address current by logging into https://www.cs.ny.gov/home/myaccount.

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How To Apply

Additional Information

New York State is an Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the State of New York to provide for and promote equal opportunity employment, compensation, and other terms and conditions of employment without unlawful discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, disability, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, veteran or military service member status, marital status, domestic violence victim status, genetic predisposition or carrier status, arrest and/or criminal conviction record, or any other category protected by law, unless based upon a bona fide occupational qualification or other exception.

Religious Accommodation

Most multiple-choice tests are held on Saturdays. If you cannot take the test on the announced test date, due to a conflict with a religious observance or practice, check the box under “Religious Accommodation.” We will make arrangements for you to take the test on a different date (usually the following day).

Reasonable Accommodations in Testing

It is the policy of the Department of Civil Service, in accordance with the New York State Human Rights Law and the Americans with Disabilities Act, to provide qualified persons with disabilities equal employment opportunity and equal opportunity to participate in and receive the benefits, services, programs, and activities of the Department. It is the policy of the Department to provide such persons reasonable accommodations and reasonable modifications as are necessary to provide equal opportunity. Persons with disabilities who require an accommodation to participate in an examination must note this on their application. Further information is available from the Test Accommodation Unit of the Department of Civil Service at Testaccommodation@cs.ny.gov.

Admission to Examination

Notice to appear for the test may be conditional as review of applications may not be made until after the test. If you have not received your notice to appear for the multiple-choice test three days before the date of the test, email us at AdmissionNotices@cs.ny.gov. Please provide your first and last name, address, and the last four digits of your social security number, and we will provide you with the information you need to attend your multiple-choice test. If you have an issue other than not receiving your admission notice, please contact our office at (518) 474-6470 in the Albany area or toll free at 1-877-697-5627. Please leave a clear concise message and provide your first and last name, last four digits of your social security number and a daytime phone number.

Taking State and Local Examinations Scheduled for the Same Day

If you have applied to take a multiple-choice test announced by either one or several local jurisdictions (county, town, city) scheduled to be held on the same test date as this multiple-choice test, you must notify each of the local jurisdictions no later than two weeks before the test date to make arrangements for taking all tests at one test site. All tests will be held at the state examination center. For your convenience, contact information for all local civil service agencies is available on our website at: https://www.cs.ny.gov/jobseeker/local.cfm.

Eligibility for Examination

To be considered a qualified employee eligible to compete in this examination, you must be employed in, or on leave from, the specified department or agency on a permanent or contingent permanent basis in the competitive class, or in the non-competitive class or labor class if specifically noted on this announcement (or be on an appropriate preferred list), and have the specified time in the specified title or salary grade. You may not compete in a test for a title if you are permanently employed in that title (unless you are still on probation) or in a higher direct line of promotion.

Cell Phones or Electronic/Communication Devices at the Test Site

The use of cell phones, beepers, headphones, or any electronic or other communication devices at your personal testing site or in the test room, hallways, restrooms, building, grounds, or other areas, except as expressly authorized by the Department of Civil Service, could result in your disqualification.

S3/TC3 SEP-tlm
Issued: 12/27/19
*Reissued: 01/05/24

This announcement is subject to amendment or cancellation without notice. Do not copy it, or post it to any other site, but link to it instead.

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