Amid mass layoffs of federal government employees, Gov. Kathy Hochul and Suffolk County Executive Ed Romaine are encouraging them to consider working for New York State or the county.
“The federal government might say, ‘You’re fired,’ but here in New York, we say, ‘You’re hired.’ In fact, we love federal workers,” Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a press release last week. “Whatever your skills, we value public service.”
This sentiment was echoed by the county executive at an environmental roundtable on Feb. 27 in Riverhead. “I would say this to those who work for the federal government who are local here in Suffolk: If your jobs go away come and see us.”
With many probationary employees at the Environmental Protection Agency already out of jobs, there are several programs Mr. Romaine mentioned that he wants the county to focus on, including the programs supporting installation of low nitrogen septic and sewer systems. “We always could use talent in this county to get the job done,” he said.
The New York State Department of Labor is also offering free online seminars for federal workers who have been, or expect to be, fired. Through these they can learn about various support services that are available for them. These, and more resources, can be found on the department’s website.
