EMPLOYEE INFORMATION
Civil Service FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT CIVIL SERVICE

WHAT IS CIVIL SERVICE?

A New Jersey State agency that oversees government employment in any town/ city that is part of the Civil Service system like Jersey City.

WHAT IS A CIVIL SERVICE EXAM?

An exam for employment in any Civil Service town or city.

WHAT IS AN ANNOUNCEMENT?

A call for applicants to apply for a particular job title.

WHAT IS A PROMOTIONAL ANNOUNCEMENT?

A call for applicants to apply for a particular job title within a specific department. Promotional announcements are only open to permanent city employees in a specific department.

WHAT IS AN OPEN COMPETITIVE ANNOUNCEMENT?

A call for applicants for a particular job title. Open competitive announcements are open to current employees and members of the public; however, an applicant must meet the job and residency requirements.
Civil Service Open Competitive Process

Civil Service Open Competitive Flow Chart

Health Benefits

HEALTH BENEFITS

Within 60 days of your hire date, a member of the Office of Employee Benefits will contact you to schedule your Benefits Orientation. You will receive information on our medical, dental and prescription plans, along with supplemental voluntary benefits the City has to offer.

If you have benefits under your spouse or another employer, you may waive coverage. You must complete a waiver form.

If you don’t sign up within 60 days of your hire date, you will have to wait until open enrollment is announced.

Open enrollment periods will be announced via email to all employees, Department Directors, and Union heads for distribution to employees.

NOTE:  There are payroll deductions for your Health Benefits. The exact deduction can be obtained from the Office of Employee Benefits.

2024 Medical & Prescription Rates Memo

MEDICAL ENROLLMENT PLANS

Employees may elect one of the following Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Healthcare Plans:

  • Horizon Direct Access
  • Horizon POS
  • EPO1 and EPO2 (Exclusive Provider Organization)

OR

  • Omnia Plan
NOTE:  Children are covered until the end of the month that they reach the age of twenty-six (26).  Also,  any changes in your coverage due to marriage, birth, death, adoption, etc. must be reported within sixty (60) days of the event.          

DENTAL ENROLLMENT PLANS

Employees may elect one of the following Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield Dental Plans:

  • The Open Plan - yearly maximum of $1,300 per individual and is accepted by most dentists for non-uniform employees.
  • The Open Plan - yearly maximum of $2,000 per individual and is accepted by most dentists for uniform employees (Police and Fire).
  • The Closed Plan - offers less out of pocket expense, no yearly maximum and a list of dentists from which to choose.

Children are covered until age nineteen (19) unless you submit proof of enrollment to Horizon each semester that they are full time student.

They are then covered until the end of the month they turn twenty-three (23).

If an employee wishes to change dentists in the closed plan, the change will NOT be effective until the first of the following month.

PRESCRIPTION PLAN

Employees are covered under the Prescription Plan through Express Scripts and coverage begins the 1st of the month following 60 days of employment.

  • Union Member co-pays:*
    • $23 for a brand name drug
    • $2 for a generic drug
  • Management co-pays:*
    • $25 for preferred brand name and
    • $35 for non-preferred brand.
    • $5 for generic.

Maintenance drugs such as medications prescribed for chronic, long-term conditions and taken on a regular, recurring basis are subject to mandatory mail order.

* $5.00 for generic brand, $25.00 preferred brand, $35 non-preferred brand – Police, Fire, Local 246, and JCSA.

NOTE: All plans are subject to change once current contract expires.

ADDITIONAL HEALTH BENEFITS

  • Flexible Spending Account
  • Supplemental Voluntary Benefits with Trustmark
    • PayCheck Protect w/Mental Illness
    • Universal Life Insurance with Long Term Care
    • Critical Health Events
    • Accident Insurance
    • Hospital StayPay Insurance
    • Legal Services
  • Optical (Glasses, Contact Lenses, etc.) Reimbursement

Send completed claim form and optical receipt to the Division of Health Benefits, City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City NJ 07302 or email to [email protected].

Payroll

PAYROLL DATES 

Please see the payroll schedule here:
2022 Seasonal Pay Schedule
2022 Civilian, Police, and Fire Pay Schedule

Pension

As a permanent employee of the City, please note that enrollment in a pension plan is required. However, provisional employees will be enrolled on the one year anniversary of their hire date or as of the date they enter a permanent title – whichever is sooner, as noted below.

Employees Under the Age of 40

  • If you work 26 hours or more, you will be placed in the City’s ERS Pension System.
    • If you are entered into our Payroll system as a permanent employee, you will be immediately placed into the City’s ERS Pension System as of your hire date.
    • If you are entered into our Payroll system as a provisional employee, you must pay Social Security until your 1 year anniversary date.If you become permanent before the 1 year anniversary date, we will stop social security as of that date and you will be enrolled into the ERS system.
  • If you work under 26 hours, you will not be placed in the City’s ERS Pension System and will pay into Social Security.

Employees Over the Age of 40

  • If you work over 32 hours, you will be placed in the State’s PERS Pension System and will pay into Social Security.
  • If you work under 32 hours, you will be placed in the State’s Defined Contribution Retirement Program (DCRP) not the State’s PERS Pension System and will pay into Social Security.

EXCEPTION TO BOTH:  No matter how many hours you work, if you already have a pre-existing, active PERS (State Pension) account, you will remain in PERS.

All Employees:

You can enroll in the Jersey City Deferred Compensation Plan, also called Deferred Comp.  Deferred Comp allows eligible City employees a way to save for retirement through convenient pre-tax payroll deductions.  This voluntary benefit provides retirement income separate from, and in addition to, your basic pension plan, similar to a 401k, to help you plan for a more secure financial future!

Your Plan Retirement Counselor, Rich Appaluccio is always available to answer any questions you may have regarding the Deferred Comp Plan.

Download the 2024 City Loan Schedule HERE

Download the 2024 ERS Loan Schedule HERE

Download the 2024 ERS Loan Application HERE

We encourage you to contact Rich via phone (201) 547-4877or email [email protected], or visit our website here: http://jerseycity.retirepru.com to learn more!

Hiring Process

Our Hiring Process


Union and Management Information
Local 246 website: www.jcpe246.com
Management Executive Order for Management Employees: Management Executive Order 2019
EMPLOYEE QUICK LINKS