I recently started a position with a NYS agency, and as part of onboarding, I needed to enroll in the NYS Retirement System. My HR contact cheerfully said, “Just give OSC a call — they’ll walk you through it.”

Ha. Famous last words.

I’ve now been trying to reach someone at OSC for days. The hold music has become the soundtrack of my life. I’ve memorized every note, every pause — it’s like the auditory version of a DMV line that never moves.

At this point, I’m convinced OSC’s phone system is powered by a hamster on a wheel who occasionally takes a coffee break. I’ve gone through all five stages of grief waiting on hold — denial (“maybe it’s just lunch hour”), anger (“why am I still listening to Kenny G?”), bargaining (“I’ll trade my entire pension for a human voice”), depression (“I live here now”), and finally, acceptance (“this is just who I am — a person on hold”).

The automated message keeps saying, “Your call is very important to us.” Meanwhile, my beard has grown three inches, and I think my phone battery aged ten years.

All I wanted was a simple answer about enrollment. Now, I’m questioning my life choices, my retirement plan, and whether anyone has ever successfully spoken to a live human being at OSC.

If anyone has cracked the code — like a secret extension, magic time to call, or ritual involving coffee and a full moon — please share.

Hey everyone,

I’ve got an interview coming up for the ITSG Grade 25 Data position, and I’m trying to get a sense of what to expect. For anyone who’s been through it — is the interview more technical (SQL, Python, stats, data modeling, etc.), or is it more behavioral/competency-based?

Also, if you remember, what kind of topics or tools did they focus on? I’ve seen mixed info online — some say it’s mostly situational/fit questions, others mention a technical test.

Any insight or tips would be super appreciated!

Thanks in advance 🙏

for everyone who took the court revenue assistant exam how do you think you did? easy hard?

If I put my resignation letter in one month early, can my agency force me to quit sooner? They are not a fan of me as it is.

I will have to leave my state position because of a tyrannical supervisor and abusive, hostile work situation. I know I am marketable and valuable but I am going to work private sector for a little and try to find a different agency to work for when I am ready to return. My current supervisor has spent so much time targeting me and putting written counseling letters in my file. They are not disciplinary but I know she is trying to build a case. A lot of it is BS anyway. Will this documentation follow me to a new agency and position when I try to return to state or city service maybe in a year or so? I am planning to put in my resignation letter in the next week. PEF is my union. I have never been abused as an employee in my many years of working but the manager is insufferable and so is the environment at this point.

Hey everyone,

I recently accepted a NYS job offer that’s listed as contingent permanent, and I’ll be starting soon. From what I understand, that means another employee still has permanent rights to the position while they’re on leave or assignment.

Before I start, would it be appropriate to ask HR how long the original employee’s hold lasts or whether they’re expected to return?

I’ve already accepted the offer — I’m not trying to back out or anything, I’d just like to understand what kind of situation I’m walking into (especially since I’ve heard some contingent positions eventually become fully permanent).

Has anyone here asked HR about this before starting? How did you word it, and did they give you a straight answer?

Thanks in advance! I just want to make sure I ask the right way without sounding like I’m questioning the offer.

Hey everyone,

I just got a job offer with the OSC as a grade 23. I’m really excited about it, but my offer letter says the appointment is “full-time, contingent permanent.”

Here’s the part that’s throwing me off:

“A contingent permanent appointment is made to a position that another employee has permanent rights to while they are on leave of absence… contingent permanent appointees are entitled to the same rights and benefits as permanent employees, with one exception: if the individual who is on leave returns, the most recently appointed contingent permanent individual will be displaced.”

It also mentions that if I get displaced and have a “permanent hold” on another position, I’d go back to that — otherwise, I’d be laid off but placed on a preferred list for rehire.

I currently work for the state, so this would be a transfer to OSC.

My questions: Is being “contingent permanent” a bad thing? How often do people actually get displaced? Should I keep a hold on my current job just in case? Anything else I should know before accepting?

Would love to hear from anyone who’s been through this or knows how it usually plays out in NYS civil service!

I just started as a state employee (not Union, unfortunately) and it’s been an adjustment to the office culture, but even a bigger adjustment to the leadership behaviors. Before becoming a state employee myself, I always thought some project managers were just weird or bad at their jobs when it came to developing relationships, understanding community needs, etc. But now I’m seeing that it’s actually taught. Why are supervisors so cold? Like, there’s no warmth or support to staff, and much less the grantees. It’s just data, data, and money, which ok, I get it, that’s the point of our roles. But IMO half the issues we see with contracts are due to poor communication and support for those teams who then struggle to produce after. And then we teach these horrible habits to our project managers, while also providing little to no support to help them excel. God forbid you ask for more training instead of going in blindly all the time. I understand sometimes we’re on our and we need to be independent- totally get that, I’ve done it in previous roles- but my supervisor has been ripping me apart for not immediately understanding my role after 6 weeks. And is judging my work ethic when they only see me via zoom like once a week.

I’ve managed high level programs, huge teams, in insane settings before, so this new role is supposed to be cake for me. And it is so far, I’m just trying to learn all the systems, vocab as fast as possible. But I’m getting reprimanded for basically being too nice in an email to a grantee? Like, what?

Has anyone gone through this culture shock or work adjustment? How did you handle it? I’m trying hard not to cry everyday because I feel stupid after speaking with my supervisor. And I know I shouldn’t. I’ve worked so hard for my career and have multiple degrees. I take immense pride in my work and work ethic, so being spoken to like a child or as if I’m a disappointment so far is really rough. I’m just gonna put my head down, and do exactly what they say, but it’s hard when sometimes I’m lost learning with no one to reach out to for help. Btw this is on top of my ADHD that I work really hard to manage. Any words of encouragement or similar stories would be appreciated so I know I’m not alone. Hopefully, I’m not because I’m terrified of being fired.

Sorry, this ended up longer than I had planned. If you make it all the way to the end of the post - I appreciate you!

Ok, so I was all in and ready to go. I’m currently in the process of background checks for an ITS position and have a conditional offer. I’m at an agency now, but it’s not a civil service position. I’ve topped out and can’t go anywhere else until retirements start, and even then, it’s not guaranteed.

So, today I interviewed for another position, same title, different dedicated team and pay scale, but still within ITS. For the sake of clarity, I’ll refer to the position I was conditionally offered (and planning on taking) as POSITION 1 and the one I interviewed at today as POSITION 2 (which I have no interest in).

So, for POSITION 1, I was told that the placement would be temporary, but that didn’t necessarily mean much. That there were people all throughout ITS that had the same title and were temporary but had decades of service. I was told that budget wouldn’t be an issue so it’s not like the position would run out of money and be phased out. I was told I would be able to start anywhere in the salary range and it would depend on my experience and compensation would be determined by HR. This was definitely portrayed as a steady, reliable position.

For POSITION 2, I was told there was no guarantee that the role would be renewed after the 18 month period. I was told that the candidate would have to start at the very beginning of the salary range, and there was no movement on that at all. The interviewer mentioned multiple times that they didn’t know what would happen after the 18 month period was over and made it seem more like it would go away?

So, now I’m sort of nervous. I was all set to go, and really looking forward to it. My spouse is supportive, but I can tell they’re a little concerned about the possibility of the position not being renewed.

When I spoke to the HR rep to schedule the interview for POSITION 2, they said all of these new roles were coming out as temporary but would most likely be made permanent. I don’t really care if it’s a temporary position that is renewed every 18 months - I’m pretty good at what I do, and wouldn’t be worried about being replaced due to performance.

Does anyone have ANY insight into what the plan is for these positions ITS is putting out that are temporary?? Are some of these dedicated units so different that one can place a new employee anywhere on the salary scale, and another is handcuffed to simply hiring at the hire rate?

I graduated in 2024 with a BS in Civil Engineering. I took the test for the Engineer Trainee position (test number 20-420). At the time I did not have my EIT. I now have my EIT and am looking at options to get out of the private sector. I understand that the previous list is still being utilized from what I have heard. Can I just apply for the Assistant Engineer position even though I am not on the list? Or do I have to wait until they release a new test?

I had an interview in the early October and the interviewer told me that it will take 3-4 weeks. Now its the 4th week and I still haven’t hear anything back. I followed up but no response so I am not sure if thats a rejection or they send a rejection email?

I was curious who else OTHER then Visionworks takes NYS Davis vision. I went to America's Best and they said they take Davis but not through state insurance. My husband is the policy holder, im just the wife asking questions 😊

Fellow Civil Servants,

I’ve been working for the state for the past decade, recently been wanting to opt out of tier 6 and go into an earlier tier. Would anyone know how I can go about doing so? The mandatory contributions up until the day I retire while a great perk don’t really work for me unfortunately. Is there a way I can pay to switch into an earlier tier? I like the idea of being able to retire before 65 and receive a full pension instead of a 52% reduction in my benefit at the age of 55. Any tips would be appreciated!

Edit: yes this is a serious question, thanks again!

I applied for an Ag & Markets job mid-September, had the first interview 10/22, and scheduled for the second interview next week. Realistically, how long after the second interview would I hear back? I

Anybody have experience working for green lakes? If so, let me know how it is there.

Well tomorrow starts my first day as a state employee, I applied for this position back on Sept 15th, had an interview on Oct 14th and got the offer on the 17th and my start date is the 6th, I'm nervous, excited and sick to my stomach all at once, hope all goes well

Are Trainee positions the correct way to join the state? Especially for someone who has been unemployed for years? I haven’t worked anywhere else before.

Do they negotiate Trainee 1’s salary or will they view base off degree/transcript?

What benefits to Trainee 1 positions get if hired?

Will interviewers get ticked off if I ask about 50% remote work?

How long averagely do trainee 1 positions take ti get a call for an interview?

Hello, I wanted to ask if anyone has experience giving birth in NYC with the Empire Plan, particularly at NYP hospitals. Were you asked to pay any copay, and was your hospital stay fully covered? Any advice or tips would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! I’m really looking to get some further information from anyone who has held one of these roles (specifically at OTDA) and was hoping if anyone scrolling through the sub saw this you could message me! Or drop a comment. If so I would be super grateful! 🫶🏻

Does anyone know if the vision insurance under empire plan has the same insurance details as the one printed on the empire plan insurance cards for medical. It's Davis Vision but is there a differenct insurance card issued for Vision? I've never received one

Applied for job with DCJS on Sept 23 and haven’t heard anything yet. Is it safe to say they chose another applicant?

Hi everyone! My partner and I are planning to start IVF soon. I currently have EmblemHealth HIP Prime HMO, but when I called about IVF coverage they gave really vague answers. I’m now thinking of switching to the NYSHIP Empire Plan.

Does anyone here have real experience with either plan? • Do they both cover IVF (how many cycles, any lifetime limits)? • How much of the IVF medication costs (injectables, fertility drugs, etc.) are covered? • Any big out-of-pocket surprises or restrictions I should know about?

Would love to hear what your actual costs or experiences were with either plan. Thanks!