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That was in , and the state wasn't ready for such a radical plan. But in , Jeb Bush was back--and not as a single, voice-in-the- wilderness cabinet member. He was governor. And when Bush took aim at civil service this time, it was with conviction and clout. On May 14, , Bush signed into law a sweeping civil service overhaul package dubbed "Service First," a set of changes he hailed as a significant modernization of personnel administration in Florida. Service First is a revolution in the wake of evolution: In the early s, Florida began chipping away at civil service, decentralizing authority for personnel management to departments, experimenting with broadbanding of job titles and pay, and reducing the emphasis on formal exams and tightly ranked lists of eligible candidates as an avenue into and up the ladder of state service. But compared with the waves of personnel administration reform that had been washing over Florida, Service First is a tsunami.
In particular, Service First makes three major changes: Most significant, it eliminates seniority for all state workers. The long-standing idea that more-senior employees ought to be protected during downsizings and accorded the right to "bump" newer staff out of jobs during layoffs is gone. At the same time, Service First moves a huge cohort of employees--anyone with even a remotely managerial or supervisory title--into a "selected exempt service," all of whom do serve at will.
Third, the law lays the groundwork for a major overhaul of job titles and pay, reducing thousands of job classes to dozens of occupational groups, and assigning to each group a pay band that allows management wide discretion in how to compensate individual employees. In adopting Service First, Florida became one of only three states to substantially eliminate civil service protection for executive-branch employees. Texas has never had much in the way of a centralized merit system, and what it did have it abolished back in But Florida's reforms most closely track those of Georgia, which passed legislation in that eliminates civil service for state workers over time: State employees hired after July 1, , serve at will, completely outside an ever-shrinking civil service system.
They can be hired, promoted, disciplined and fired quickly and with relative impunity; they accrue no seniority and therefore have no bumping rights whatsoever. Mark Neimeiser, political director for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 79, which represents most of the state's rank-and-file employees, calls the law "Service Worst. With a governor who seems determined to shrink government employment and privatize everything from the state library to child protective services to personnel administration itself, Service First, critics say, is a thinly disguised mechanism for simplifying the removal of public employees for whatever reason: political, practical or ideological. First, it exposes state workers who enforce regulations and license businesses and professionals to the risk of retribution for pursuing cases against politically well-connected Floridians.
Second, it leaves higher- salaried senior staff exposed to the whims of departmental budget cutters who, like a sports-team owner trying to meet a salary cap, might be tempted to off-load more senior, high-paid staff just to save money, regardless of what it means by way of institutional brain drain or employee morale. With regard to the first concern, it is certainly not hard to find Florida whistleblowers who claim to have been fired for political reasons--either because they took regulatory action against an ally of the governor, or simply because they were registered in the wrong party and were picked off for political reasons. A Florida Web site-- www. Depending on one's view of the spoils system and what it ought to deliver to whom, such stories are either shocking or just par for the political course and no different than stories that filter out of Albany, Springfield or Sacramento whenever there's a change of party, regardless of the civil service rules.
As for dumping senior staff, there is evidence of the widespread removal of long-time employees. In the wake of Service First, releasing a couple hundred senior employees has become very simple-- there is no imperative to find them other jobs in their department or anywhere else in government. A number of agencies have experienced significant downsizings, including, health, transportation and juvenile justice. The Bush administration says that most laid-off employees were given the option of taking other jobs in government. Critics of Service First say the jobs offered typically represented demotions in both rank and pay. For example, a group of employees in the Department of Business and Professional Regulation were terminated, then allowed to reapply for jobs paying 25 percent less.
David Ferguson, head of personnel for the Department of Transportation for the past 30 years, says unequivocally that Service First is the best thing that's ever happened in Florida with regard to personnel administration. The ability to freely and quickly hire, promote, transfer or offer raises to employees has allowed his department to manage personnel in a rational, business-like way, competing for the best and brightest and retaining top-performing staff, he notes. When it comes to potential political pressure on state regulators, Alyce Parmer, head of human resources management for the Department of Environmental Protection says, "I can see where that potential is there. But I don't know that it's had a chilling effect at DEP and our ability to vigorously address [enforcement] issues.
We haven't seen that. Florida whistle-blowers vehemently disagree. One former Florida regulator, who says he was fired for taking action against a well-connected businessman, notes that whistle-blowing is a lonely, difficult and ultimately career- threatening activity. As for potential brain drain that might come with off-loading senior staff for fiscal reasons, David Ferguson says that the budget and staffing squeeze in his department has actually led his organization to do the opposite. His department is trying to hang on to veterans because of their depth of knowledge and ability to handle a variety of different jobs. The specifics of Service First and its day-to-day impacts aside, HR managers in Florida make a more global argument about new personnel policies in an era of a new kind of employee. Tightly wound civil service laws are simply no longer relevant in today's employment world, they say, where it's understood that individuals will be job- hopping for their entire work lives.
In the view of personnel directors like Ferguson and Parmer, the approach represented by Service First is simply part of a natural evolution in an emerging new view of state service: No longer should states be looking for people who will make working for the state a lifelong career. Rather, government should, like the private sector, accept the fact that workers in modern times are inclined to do three and four-year stints here and there and then move on. The state needs to adapt to the wishes and habits of these new-style employees. In fact, to accommodate a more peripatetic work force, Florida now allows employees to opt into a k -style defined-contribution plan that workers can take with them when they leave state service, as opposed to the traditional defined-benefit plan that requires a minimum length of service for vesting and that gets sweeter with time.
If state personnel directors have any criticism of Service First, it is that it still contains too much micromanaging language, instances where departments must go to the Department of Management Services-- which oversees state personnel policies--or the governor's budget office to ask "mother may I," Parmer says. If you have confidence in them, then give them the authority and the flexibility to manage and then hold them accountable. For example, it requires that agencies get gubernatorial approval to work temporary employees longer than 1, hours in a year. It caps the ratio of upper-level managers to rank- and-file employees. It makes all of the personal secretaries of key executive branch officials at-will employees. And it calls for the establishment of a professional development program to help employees understand strategic planning and performance measurement.
Yet the law also contains at least one notable omission: There is no language at all about how the effects of Service First itself will be assessed. One effect to date is very clear, though: It has organized labor in Florida riled up, especially Council Because of organized labor's opposition, the fight over Service First from the outset was much tougher, acrimonious and ideologically divisive than was Georgia's push to eliminate civil service. While hardly a political powerhouse-- Florida is an "open shop" state, which means that unions can organize but employees can't be compelled to pay dues--AFSCME 79 is at least a presence in Florida politics, with enough resources to lobby and sue. Also nettling to labor is that key support for the measure comes from the Florida Council of , an influential corps of top businesspeople statewide who haven't exactly evinced great affection for unions.
Howard, author of "The Death of Common Sense," in declaring that civil service in Georgia had outlived its purpose, Governor Bush invoked "Modernizing Florida's Civil Service System: Moving From Protection to Performance," a report released at the end of by the arguably very interested Council of At the beginning of the report, the Council's chairman, Charles E. Cobb Jr. In fact, the whole report is extremely thin on data about the negative impacts of civil service on state government.
But the report's tone and message are unmistakable: In the mind of business, Florida's civil service system was public enemy number one and needed to be rubbed out. The report called for at-will status for all state employees, a move that would eliminate what the report described as a "complicated web of restrictions" for removing employees "called 'due process.
In its original form, Service First took both the governor's and the Council of 's cue and made all state employees at will, in effect doing instantly what will take a few decades to do in Georgia. The Florida House passed a version of the law embracing immediate, universal at-will status for all state employees, but the Senate pulled back, which is when Bush administration strategists decided to carve out as many employees as possible for the selected exempt service.
The , or so employees left in the "career service" category, however, didn't escape unscathed. The new law makes it considerably easier to discipline employees, and it curbs the Public Employee Relations Commission's authority and discretion in deciding such appeals. Meanwhile, it overturns the long- standing practice of reimbursing employees for their legal fees in cases where they appeal adverse personnel actions to PERC and prevail. And in a major shift in how the state goes about collective bargaining, the law short-circuits the traditional process for working through contract impasses, allowing the governor to bypass mediation and kick deadlocked negotiations directly to the legislature for final resolution.
In Neimeiser's opinion, the new language reflects an overall attitude of the Bush administration: They don't want to negotiate anything. Rather, they are aimed at weakening organized labor. But Service First does not treat organized labor monolithically. Specific language in Service First excludes certain professions from coverage under the new, flexible personnel regime, including police, fire fighters and dietitians. It is a curious combination, and certainly begs the question of what the three occupational groups might have in common when it comes to what state personnel rules ought to apply. In fact, what the three groups have in common has nothing to do with their job responsibilities, says Democratic Senator Al Lawson Jr. He says the police and fire unions endorsed Bush in , as did the union that represents the state's dietitians, nurses, psychologists, physical and speech therapists, dentists and pharmacists.
Furthermore, Lawson says, language removing the three groups from coverage under Service First was inserted at some point between when the joint committee finished its work--or thought it had- -and when the law was printed. It was nothing that ever came before our committee. Even though such freelance tinkering violates legislative rules, Governor Bush and Republican lawmakers forged forward. Certainly the Bush administration would have an easier time defending Service First as management reform without such exceptions. If Georgia's radical overhaul of civil service treats state employees roughly, as some believe, it at least treats them all equally--no job title is spared from evaporating protection. In considering the exceptions crafted in Florida, even some supporters of Service First have questions. Florida TaxWatch, a business-financed, nonpartisan, nonprofit group that advocates for fiscally responsible state policies, backed Service First on the grounds that management flexibility in personnel administration is a good thing.
But TaxWatch head Dominic Calabro says the exceptions weren't anything his group endorsed. When it comes to who is covered under Service First, says Calabro, "what's good for the goose is good for the gander. I've not heard that from anybody. Also keeping the issue very much alive is the fact that AFSCME 79 is in the middle of a three-count lawsuit against the state and Governor Bush, claiming, among other things, that Service First has "unconstitutionally waived and impaired collective bargaining rights protected by the Florida Constitution. Regardless of the motivation for Service First, or how the controversy surrounding it plays out, the law gives management a powerful new hand in all matters related to personnel administration, including the freedom to pursue the kind of aggressive downsizing the state has seen in the past few years. Already lean, Florida went from ranking 47th on the national list of state employees per capita in July , to 49th in July , with 24, positions lopped off the payroll during that time period.
A recent Florida State University survey of employees who were shifted into the at-will, selected exempt class by Service First found that nearly two-thirds of them believed that "a goal of Service First is to downsize government.
Select Page Florida Civil Service Exam Preparation Civil service employment comes with merits of its own, particularly the security and stability of a government paycheck and health insurance, as well as flexible career growth opportunities. How can you secure this opportunity for yourself? The Florida state government obliges some civil service job seekers to undergo testing prior to employment. What Florida civil service exams may you need to go through? The job announcement for the civil service position you consider applying for will clearly state whether you need to take an examination or not. You can expect a Florida civil service test to be a routine pre-employment screening practice for jobs in law enforcement and fire safety. Here are some examples and tips: Police Exams To get hired as a police officer in Florida, you need to take and pass one of the mandatory Florida civil service exams approved by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
These tests are designed with psychometrics in mind assess your aptitude and determine whether you are fit for the job as a police officer, regardless of whether you are a graduate. Correctional Officer Exams As a job candidate with interest in getting hired as a correctional officer, you are required to take a timed multiple-choice written examination in one sitting. Correctional Officer positions are among the most competitive in the civil service, and the assessment of your aptitude through civil service testing becomes a crucial part of the hiring process for this highly demanding job. Firefighter Exams The type of civil service exam you have to take as an aspiring firefighter differs based on the county involved in the hiring process. For instance, to become a firefighter in Miami, you are required to take the Fire-Rescue Firefighter exam. You can expect multiple-choice, multiple-list, and agree-disagree types of questions.
Based on the answers you provide, your ability to comprehend audio-visual and written information will be assessed, helping to determine your overall aptitude for the job. Local Exams Florida municipalities can hold civil service exams for civil service job positions that require it. These tests, however, are still approved and scheduled by the state government, so you can expect a certain degree of similarity between various civil service tests for the same job position across the state. Be sure to check with your local municipality for details on Florida civil service exam schedules in your location. How can you increase your chances of getting hired? You can prepare for the test format well before even taking your Florida civil service test.
With the help of online exam study guides and sample questions and explanations, you can increase your confidence through civil service exam sample questions. The increased levels of comfort that you will experience during the exam will allow you to score to the best of your ability.
The City has a Civil Service Board with a charter and rules that require a step-by-step process. As an applicant, you may apply online or you may come to the Civil Service office between a. Monday through Friday with originals of your support documents to complete the entire application. All applications will be reviewed and the top 10 applicants will be interviewed at the next regularly scheduled Civil Service board meeting. The Board tries to meet the first Wednesday of each month, and if necessary, the third Wednesday of the month. Once interviews are completed, the Board will select the top three applicants for hiring consideration. The three successful applicants will be interviewed at the department level.
The department makes a recommendation to the Board who in turns makes the recommendation to the City Manager. The City Manager makes the final decision for all hiring in the City. There shall be no discrimination exercised on account of race, national origin, color, religion, creed, age, marital status, sex, political affiliation, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability unless such disability effectively prevents the performance of the essential duties required of the position and which are bona fide occupational qualifications which cannot be accommodated without undue hardship, with respect to the recruitment, examination or appointment of applicants, or in any personnel actions affecting employees, including compensation, training, promotions, educational opportunities, transfers, demotions, layoffs and disciplinary transactions.
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Download Article X This article was co-authored by our trained team of editors and researchers who validated it for accuracy and comprehensiveness. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 8, times. Learn more Civil service exams are required for many different jobs at the city, state, and national level. These tests are meant to ensure that the hiring process is competitive and fair. Before you take a civil service exam you need to check regularly for exam announcements, become familiar with the different types of exams, and submit all the necessary documentation for the application.
After you submit your application, there are a number of resources you can use to prepare for the exam. All rights reserved. This image may not be used by other entities without the express written consent of wikiHow, Inc. Civil service examinations are administered through your city, state, and national government. You should regularly check these websites as some tests are available to take only once or twice a year. You should contact the specific government agency if you have any questions regarding which vacancies are posted online.
Some websites may give you the option to sign up for job alerts. This way you will receive an automatic notification when new vacancies open up. There are different application requirements depending on the type of job for which you are applying. Be sure to read through the information in the announcement for details. There are generally three types of civil service announcements: Open Competitive: These exams rank applicants based on test score. The higher your exam score, the better your chances are of continuing through the application process.
Continuous: These announcements are for jobs for which the state or county are continually hiring. Exams are administered on a periodic bases and are open to all applicants that meet the minimum requirements. Exam for Future Vacancies: This is an opportunity to take the exam without applying for a specific job. If you receive a passing score, you can then apply to vacancies as they open up. In some cases, those with higher test score may be referred for interviews. For most civil service jobs, you need to be at least 18 years of age, and a legal resident of the city or state to apply. Some jobs may require that you become a resident at least six months before applying to take the examination.
Education and experience requirements vary depending on the job. For example, some jobs require a degree in a specific field of study. If your degree falls outside of this discipline, you must provide a copy of your transcript showing that the majority of your credits were within the subject area specified in the job posting. You should make sure that all of your licenses are current and valid throughout the application process. This will provide more specific details regarding job duties, test description, filing period, expected exam date s and other pertinent information.
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