S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6990
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
March 27, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. JACKSON -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Civil Service and Pensions
AN ACT to amend the civil service law, in relation to requiring exit
surveys for resigning employees
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "improve
civil service working conditions act".
§ 2. The civil service law is amended by adding a new section 159-e to
read as follows:
§ 159-E. EXIT SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS. 1. FOR PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION,
THE FOLLOWING TERMS SHALL HAVE THE FOLLOWING MEANINGS:
A. "RESIGNING EMPLOYEE" MEANS AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS PROVIDED NOTICE OF
RESIGNATION FROM EMPLOYMENT IN THE STATE CIVIL SERVICE BUT DOES NOT
INCLUDE A RETIRING EMPLOYEE.
B. "RETIRING EMPLOYEE" MEANS AN EMPLOYEE WHO HAS PROVIDED NOTICE OF
RETIREMENT FROM EMPLOYMENT IN THE STATE SERVICE.
C. "STATE AGENCY" SHALL HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS DEFINED IN PARAGRAPH
A OF SUBDIVISION ONE OF SECTION TWO HUNDRED ONE OF THE EXECUTIVE LAW.
2. NO LATER THAN JANUARY FIRST, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SEVEN, EACH AGENCY
SHALL PROVIDE TO THE DEPARTMENT COPIES OF ANY EXIT SURVEYS OR POLICIES
THAT SUCH STATE AGENCY ADMINISTERS IN RELATION TO RESIGNING OR RETIRING
EMPLOYEES.
3. UPON CONSIDERATION OF ANY EXIT SURVEYS OR POLICIES RECEIVED FROM
AGENCIES PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION TWO OF THIS SECTION, THE PRESIDENT
SHALL CREATE A COMPREHENSIVE EXIT SURVEY AND INTERVIEW PROTOCOL FOR
RESIGNING EMPLOYEES AND RETIRING EMPLOYEES. SUCH SURVEY AND INTERVIEW
PROTOCOL SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: A. QUESTIONS DESIGNED TO
ELICIT DETAILS REGARDING THE QUALITY OF THE EMPLOYEE'S EXPERIENCE DURING
THEIR EMPLOYMENT IN STATE SERVICE AND THE EMPLOYEE'S REASONS FOR RESIGN-
ING OR RETIRING FROM EMPLOYMENT IN THE STATE SERVICE; B. BASIC PROTOCOLS
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02150-02-5
S. 6990 2
FOR MANAGERS THAT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NOT BE LIMITED TO: (I) PROCEDURES
TO ADMINISTER SUCH INTERVIEWS; AND (II) PROCEDURES BY WHICH RESIGNING OR
RETIRING EMPLOYEES WILL BE INFORMED OF THE PURPOSE OF SUCH INTERVIEW;
AND C. A METHOD BY WHICH RESIGNING OR RETIRING EMPLOYEES SHALL BE
INFORMED THAT THEIR RESPONSES TO EXIT SURVEYS ARE NOT SUBJECT TO THE
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION LAW AS SET FORTH IN ARTICLE SIX OF THE PUBLIC
OFFICER'S LAW.
4. A. STATE AGENCIES SHALL OFFER ELECTRONIC EXIT SURVEYS CREATED
PURSUANT TO SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION TO ALL RESIGNING EMPLOYEES
AND RETIRING EMPLOYEES, TO BE COMPLETED ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS.
B. STATE AGENCIES SHALL MAKE BEST EFFORTS TO OFFER TO CONDUCT EXIT
INTERVIEWS PURSUANT TO THE PROTOCOL REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION THREE OF
THIS SECTION TO AS MANY RESIGNING EMPLOYEES AND RETIRING EMPLOYEES AS
PRACTICABLE THROUGHOUT THE REPORTING PERIOD; PROVIDED, HOWEVER, THAT
EACH STATE AGENCY SHALL OFFER AN EXIT INTERVIEW TO NO FEWER THAN THIRTY
PERCENT OF RESIGNING OR RETIRING EMPLOYEES.
C. EXIT SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS SHALL BE OFFERED TO RESIGNING EMPLOYEES
OR RETIRING EMPLOYEES AS EARLY AS PRACTICABLE FOLLOWING NOTICE OF RESIG-
NATION OR RETIREMENT AND, IF SUCH EMPLOYEE ELECTS TO PARTICIPATE IN SUCH
SURVEY OR INTERVIEW, SHALL BE CONDUCTED ON OR BEFORE SUCH EMPLOYEE'S
LAST DAY OF EMPLOYMENT.
5. NO LATER THAN MARCH THIRTIETH, TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-EIGHT AND BY
MARCH THIRTIETH ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, THE DEPARTMENT SHALL SUBMIT TO THE
GOVERNOR, THE SPEAKER OF THE ASSEMBLY, AND THE TEMPORARY PRESIDENT OF
THE SENATE:
A. A COPY OF THE COMPREHENSIVE EXIT SURVEY AND INTERVIEW PROTOCOL
REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION THREE OF THIS SECTION; AND
B. A REPORT REGARDING RESPONSES FROM EXIT SURVEYS AND INTERVIEWS
ADMINISTERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD PURSUANT TO THIS SECTION. SUCH
REPORT SHALL INCLUDE, BUT NEED NOT BE LIMITED TO:
(I) THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION ON RESIGNING EMPLOYEES AND RETIRING
EMPLOYEES FOR THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEAR, DISAGGREGATED BY STATE AGENCY,
CIVIL SERVICE TITLE, BUSINESS TITLE, TITLE CLASSIFICATION, MANAGERIAL
STATUS, AS APPLICABLE, AND STATUS AS RESIGNING EMPLOYEE OR RETIRING
EMPLOYEE:
(1) THE NUMBER OF SUCH EMPLOYEES;
(2) THE NUMBER OF SUCH EMPLOYEES WHO WERE OFFERED TO COMPLETE AN EXIT
SURVEY;
(3) THE NUMBER OF SUCH EMPLOYEES WHO WERE OFFERED AN EXIT INTERVIEW;
(4) THE NUMBER OF SUCH EMPLOYEES WHO COMPLETED AN EXIT SURVEY; AND
(5) THE NUMBER OF SUCH EMPLOYEES WHO COMPLETED AN EXIT INTERVIEW.
(II) A SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS OF INFORMATION OBTAINED FROM EXIT SURVEYS
AND INTERVIEWS ADMINISTERED TO RESIGNING EMPLOYEES AND RETIRING EMPLOY-
EES IN THE PRIOR CALENDAR YEAR. SUCH SUMMARY AND ANALYSIS SHALL MAKE
BEST EFFORTS TO ADDRESS THE REASONS FOR RESIGNATION OR RETIREMENT GIVEN
BY SURVEYED AND INTERVIEWED EMPLOYEES, WHICH MAY INCLUDE, BUT ARE NOT
LIMITED TO: CAREER CHANGE; DECISION TO PURSUE FURTHER EDUCATION; REMOTE
WORK POLICIES; LEAVE POLICIES; CAREGIVING RESPONSIBILITIES; WAGES AND
OTHER COMPENSATION; CONFLICT WITH COLLEAGUES; CONFLICT WITH MANAGEMENT;
PERCEIVED UNSAFE WORKING CONDITIONS; CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE HARASSMENT
OR DISCRIMINATION; WORKLOAD; LOSS OF CITY RESIDENCY; AND COMMUTE TIME.
§ 3. Individual responses to exit surveys collected pursuant to
section 159-e of the civil service law shall be exempt from the Freedom
of Information Law as set forth in article 6 of the public officers law.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.