WTC Excused Absence Policy

In February 2007, Mayor Bloomberg accepted all 15 comprehensive recommendations in Addressing the Health Impacts of 9/11 , a report he commissioned from a special panel to help New York City "take care of its own."

The panel recommended that city employees who are eligible for the Mt. Sinai program but not currently participating should be given the opportunity to do an initial screening on City time. Additionally, the Panel recommended that City employees who participated in World Trade Center (WTC) operations be given the opportunity to have an initial evaluation on City time. In July 2007, Mayor Bloomberg sent a letter to the heads of 20 city agencies instructing them to take the necessary steps to implement the new WTC Excused Absence Policy.

City employees in the agencies listed below now can take advantage of this by making an appointment at one of the following programs for which they qualify (each program has its own eligibility requirements):

WTC Health Center at Bellevue Hospital Center, Gouverneur Healthcare Services and Elmhurst Hospital Center

Mount Sinai Consortium: WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program

FDNY: WTC Medical Monitoring and Treatment Program

Employees are expected to provide documentation of their appointment in accordance with the timekeeping policies in their respective agencies.

Any absence in excess of four hours (including travel time) should be approved if documentation from the program where the appointment was scheduled supports the additional time.

City employees of the agencies listed below with questions about the WTC Excused Absence Policy should contact their WTC Agency Liaison. If an agency does not have a designated liaison, city employees may contact the WTC Health Coordinator.

Agencies Whose Employees Are Eligible for the WTC Excused Absence Policy

Department of Buildings (DOB)

Department of Citywide Administrative Services (DCAS)

Department of Correction (DOC)

Department of Design and Construction (DDC)

Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)

Department of Finance

Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)

Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications (DOITT)

Department of Probation

Department of Sanitation New York (DSNY)

Department of Transportation (DOT)

Fire Department of New York (FDNY)

Health and Hospitals Corporation (HHC)

Law Department

New York Police Department (NYPD)

Office of the Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)

Office of Emergency Management (OEM)

Office of Labor Relations (OLR)

Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

Parks Department