Freelancer Program Associate

Applicants must take the Education and Experience exam to be eligible. Take the exam at Open Competitive Exams for Anyone

• Department of Citywide Administrative Services. Select Exam No. 6065 for Inspector (Consumer and Worker Protection). The exam closes on June 23,
• Permanent employees in the civil service title, comparable title (under 6.1.9) and 55a applicants are also eligible to apply.

**This position may be eligible for remote work for up to 2 days per week pursuant to the Flexible Work Pilot Program. ** The NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) is the nation’s leading municipal enforcement agency charged with delivering economic justice. DCWP leverages its authority to bring New Yorkers real economic relief and protect them from predatory, deceptive, and unfair practices that violate their rights as consumers and workers. This includes pioneering cutting-edge protections, such as the City’s Consumer Protection Law, Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek Law, and Delivery Worker Laws, including the Minimum Pay Rate for delivery workers. Through licensing more than 45,000 businesses in over 45 industries, DCWP ensures fair competition and a level playing field for responsible small businesses that are integral to New York City’s vibrant communities. DCWP also provides essential services such as free tax preparation and financial counseling to ensure New Yorkers keep more of what they earn and can plan for their futures. DCWP is committed to making sure New York City is a fairer, more affordable place to live. For more information about DCWP and its work, call 311 or visit DCWP at nyc.gov/dcwp, sign up for its newsletter, or follow on its social media sites, X, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The Office of Labor Policy & Standards (“OLPS”) enforces the City’s worker protection laws, including the Protected Time Off Law, Fair Workweek scheduling laws that protect fast food and retail workers, Delivery Worker Laws that provide minimum pay and other protections for app delivery workers, and wrongful deactivation protections for Uber and Lyft drivers. We also administer the Freelance Isn’t Free Act (FIFA) program, which assists freelance workers who have experienced wage theft and other violations. We obtain monetary compensation for workers for violations and bring companies into compliance. More information about our office is available at nyc.gov/workers.

OLPS is seeking an organized, motivated person with excellent communication skills to be a Freelancer Advocate in FIFA program. A Freelancer Advocate handles a large volume of complaints from freelancers and is the direct line of contact for freelance workers using the law to collect money owed to them. Key responsibilities include:

• Handling FIFA complaints by sending required notices, supporting documents, and surveys to freelance workers and hiring parties.
• Performing data entry to record information about complaints, responses, surveys, and survey responses in OLPS case management databases.
• Sending surveys to freelancers for information about case resolutions.
• Using reports to monitor deadlines and receive case assignments.
• Interviewing freelancers about their cases and answering freelancers’ questions by phone and email.

Minimum Qualifications

• A four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent and four years of full-time, satisfactory experience conducting investigations or inspections for a consumer or worker protection agency; or
• A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college; or
• A satisfactory combination of education and/or experience, which is equivalent to "1" above. College education may be substituted for the required experience on the basis of 30 semester credits for each year of required experience. However, all candidates must have a four-year high school diploma or its educational equivalent.

License Requirement: Possession of a Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York at the time of appointment. This license must be maintained for the duration of employment.

Preferred Skills

• Strong organizational skills;
• The ability to gather detailed information from workers through interviews;
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office;
• Comfort using computers and databases;
• Experience tracking work on multiple assignments and meeting deadlines;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills; and
• Fluency in a language other than English.

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

In addition, the NYC Department of Consumer and Worker Protection (DCWP) offers competitive salaries and the following benefits: Paid Time Off and Holidays

• Paid time off for vacation and personal leave
• Paid time off for sick leave
• A generous holiday package of up to 13 days Health Benefits
• Medical insurance plans
• Dental and vision insurance plans
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) Financial and Savings Benefits
• 529 College Savings Plan
• Direct Deposit
• Flexible Spending Account Programs
• New York City Municipal Credit Union Savings Program
• Transit Benefit Programs Retirement and Pension Plans
• New York City Employee Retirement System (NYCERS) pension plan
• New York City Deferred Compensation Plan (DCP) 401(k) and 457 plan Additional Benefits for Union Members
• Disability Insurance
• Health Club Reimbursements
• Life Insurance
• Supplemental Hospital Coverage
• Tuition Reimbursement *Please note only employees represented by a labor union may qualify for additional benefits provided by the union welfare fund.

Student Loan Forgiveness

• DCWP qualifies as a public service employer, which means our employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program. If you have federal student loans, you may be able to have your loans forgiven by working full-time in public service. To learn more about PSLF and its eligibility requirements, visit the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program website.

Employee Discounts

• Apple and Dell products
• Cell phones and plans
• Gym memberships
• Special pricing on event tickets through Barclay Center, Plum Benefits and Working Advantage
• And more!