PUBLIC TESTIMONY
Testimony by Michael Abramovich, Veteran and Civil Servant, on Veterans in Civil Service
1:27:07
·
4 min
Michael Abramovich, a veteran and civil servant, discusses the challenges faced by veterans working in New York City's civil service. He highlights the lack of recruitment efforts, inadequate engagement with veteran employees, and the need for better understanding and support within the workplace.
- Emphasizes the invisibility of veterans in civil service recruitment and workplace environments
- Points out the absence of proper training for non-veteran employees on how to interact respectfully with veterans
- Suggests the need for stronger community engagement and mentoring programs for veteran civil servants
Michael Abramovich
1:27:07
Sure thing.
1:27:09
Good morning, everyone.
1:27:12
Thank you, council member.
1:27:14
I think, Pat.
1:27:15
I would just My name is Michael Abramovich.
1:27:18
I was raised here in New York City.
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I was the 1st generation immigrant from the former Soviet Union, now Russia.
1:27:25
I grew up in New York City my whole life.
1:27:28
My parents were homeowners.
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They bought a house on San Juan.
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They were very proud of the day they managed it.
1:27:35
I went to high school and when 911 happened and being an ROTC that I was more than motivated to join.
1:27:44
Fast forward to 2012, I finished 8 years of service, having certainly army national guard and reserves for state of New York, and having deployed in support of operation hierarchy of freedom.
1:27:57
My I started working in New York City civil service and working as a New York City civil servant.
1:28:06
So I would like to discuss what why I feel veterans are invisible when it comes to working in civil servants or being recruited to civil service positions.
1:28:19
First off, I in my time as a student veteran, as veteran advocate.
1:28:25
I have very I cannot recall the time I've seen any New York City agencies actively recruiting veterans for positions.
1:28:37
The second thing is once veterans get into the civil service system, whether applying for a job that they get or encourage my friends and family to apply for various positions and find themselves, as civil service employees.
1:28:51
We are practically never engaged as veterans.
1:28:57
I can recall maybe one time in 11 years where I had a little bit of say of how dealing with veterans suicide and how to approach veterans.
1:29:05
But what my experience is, while there's all this awesome training to prevent sexual harassment, to prevent discrimination and mistreatment of various minorities, including the LGBTQ community.
1:29:20
There's really 0 to little provided on addressing veterans and how to properly show its respect.
1:29:29
Or what to what is okay to talk to us about and what is not okay.
1:29:34
A lot of times I've spoke to veteran body veterans who in their workplace, private and public, often are disregarded, but people will say, incentive things without realizing how insensitive they are, especially in the days of media showing TVs, movies, video games.
1:29:55
Displaying brutal war scenes that clearly has desensitized to general public.
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A lot of times, those conversations that we hear or these innocent questions are asked are often offensive, and because we are taught to shut up and suck it suck it up and drive on, we often never make our complaints known.
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Hence, our silence.
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Often, we are isolated.
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We don't have other veterans to connect to.
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We don't have veterans mentoring other veterans mentoring us.
1:30:33
Also, our direct line leadership.
1:30:35
Some must have awesome supervisors.
1:30:36
Some I have an amazing first line supervisor.
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She's always helpful.
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She understands concerns with my health, with my advocacy, and everything I'm involved with, and has always been respectful of that.
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Other veterans, I know, have gotten quite the opposite, very much disrespected, alienated, and they felt that there was really not much they can do.
1:31:00
So the And the other thing I wanna bring up is that New York City I feel that New York City Department of Veterans Services has yet to engage the veterans who are working in civil servants regardless of what position I feel that there needs to be a stronger sense of community of those who are looking to work in New York City government and those who already are.
1:31:27
In addition to better mentoring veterans who are ready in civil service so they can maximize what their skills and their abilities and just aren't stuck sitting in some entry level position for 20 years because they don't want to pitch and complain, by the way.
1:31:42
And just doing the job the best they can with just thumbs up from their bosses.
