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Human Resources

City Employees speaking about work

The Human Resources Department is responsible for a variety of functions, including assisting other City departments with recruitment and selection, civil service regulations, classification and pay, personnel policy development and administration, benefits, employee relations and employee orientation, training and professional development.

Tips and FAQs

How do I apply for a Labor Service position?

Labor Service jobs are filled through the Labor Service registration process. Applicants are placed on waiting lists and ranked in order of registration date.
  • Qualified veterans and widowed, unremarried spouses, or parents of veterans who died from a service connected disability, will receive 1st preference. 
  • A separate registration list is maintained for entry level Labor Service jobs for applicants who meet qualifications of “Section 47A” certification for disadvantaged persons. 
  • Information regarding above qualifications and the application procedure is available through the Personnel Department.
  • Registration cards are mailed to all registrants indicating a registration number. 
  • Labor Service registration is valid for five years and is subject to all provisions of civil service laws and rules.
  • Labor applications are accepted whether or not there is a current position vacant. 

Download a Labor Service Application Form (PDF)

How do I apply for an Official Service / Public Safety position?

Official Service jobs are those for which an examination is generally required and include all clerical, administrative, technical, and professional positions in all nonexempt departments. These positions are filled on a permanent basis, primarily as the result of open competitive exams administered by the Massachusetts Human Resources Division. 

Entry level police officer and firefighter examinations and physical abilities tests are also administered by the Massachusetts Human Resources Division (HRD). Additional information is available at HRD, One Ashburton Place, Boston, MA 02108. Information is also available on the HRD website at http://www.mass.gov/hrd. The Personnel Department generally has a supply of exam applications along with announcements of upcoming examinations.

How do I apply for a Non Civil Service position?

We maintain our own applicant and affirmative action pools for referral to jobs that are exempt from civil service and for provisional appointments to those jobs subject to civil service but where no current valid eligible list exists. If you see a specific job listing of interest, please follow the instructions on the job announcement. The majority of our positions require applying by filing a resume and letter of interest for a specific position. 

View City of Cambridge Position Listings

How do I apply for the Seasonal Laborer Lottery Program?

There are a limited number of 40 hour, 9 week seasonal laborer assignments open to current Cambridge residents who are willing/able to perform heavy labor duties, with or without reasonable accommodation. Applicants will be selected by lottery from those who apply. To be eligible for the seasonal lottery, please complete a new seasonal laborer lottery application form and fitness statement and submit to Personnel Dept, Room 309, City Hall, 795 Massachusetts Avenue, Cambridge MA 02139. Fax 617-349-4312. An application will be valid for one year after filing. Only one application per person in each 12 month period will be eligible for the lottery. In the case of multiple applications, the first complete application received will be eligible for the lottery.

Download a Seasonal Laborer Lottery Program Application Packet (PDF)

What is the Living Wage Ordinance?

The Living Wage Ordinance (2.121) provides, at 2.121.030 (b), that the wage shall be upwardly adjusted each year no later than March 1st in proportion to the increase in the Annual Average Consumer Price Index for the prior calendar year for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) in the Boston area, as published by the federal Bureau of Labor
Statistics.

For calendar year 2018, the CPI-U increased by 3.29%. Therefore, the new Living Wage as of March 1, 2019 is $16.15. This amount should be communicated to vendors subject to the Living Wage Ordinance and will be used to adjust pay for appropriate city employees.

The adjustment does not affect any existing contractual agreements unless the terms of those agreements so require. Questions concerning applicability and enforcement of the ordinance should be directed to the City of Cambridge Law Department at 617-349- 4121 or the Purchasing Department at 617-349-4310.

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