The Workforce Management Program helps UC Davis strategically manage staff hiring, supports leaders making staffing adjustments within their area(s), and provides support for employees impacted by layoffs or reductions in work time. 

In response to UC President Michael Drake’s recent announcement of a hiring freeze, Chancellor Gary May asked Human Resources to implement a central hiring review process for staff on the Davis campus.

The Workforce Management Program supports these specific efforts: 

1. Hiring Review Committee will review all Davis campus staff hiring requests, advancing only the most critical for posting.
2. Support for Managers as they make workforce adjustments in their areas. Up-to-date information for managers is on the Employee and Labor Relations website.
3. Support for Staff impacted by layoffs or reductions in work time, ensuring they are considered for vacancies within the university through the Sustaining Talent in Lieu of Layoffs (STILL) program. 

Process for Submitting Hiring Requests

If your campus department determines hiring for a vacant position is critical:

Recruitments Underway

• Jobs with Offers Extended or Accepted: If job offers were extended or accepted prior to noon on March 26, the recruitment should continue.
• Jobs Currently Posted: Recruitments are now paused, meaning the positions will remain posted but not filled. After April 1, these positions will either remain posted if approved by the Hiring Review Committee or be removed.
• Jobs with Postings Closed (e.g., candidates routed for interviews): Recruitments are now paused, and departments may cancel or with the approval of the vice chancellor, dean or vice provost, departments can submit for committee review.
• Jobs Not Yet Submitted to Human Resources: Hold these recruitment requests until April 1. After this date, departments may choose to submit requests for committee review, assuming the posting has been deemed critical at the local level.

Talent Acquisition recruiters will contact individual hiring managers regarding next steps. 

Internal Hiring and Reassignment Programs
 

• Reassignment within school/college/division: To assist leaders who may need to make workforce adjustments in their areas, the Employee and Labor Relations team has updated their website and is actively assisting schools/colleges/divisions in conducting reorganizations, reductions in time, internal reassignments within payroll titles, layoffs, and related processes.
• Sustaining Talent in Lieu of Layoffs (STILL): To support employees impacted by layoffs, Talent Acquisition will connect staff affected by layoffs or reductions in work time with approved vacancies across UC Davis. Hiring managers with positions approved by the Hiring Review Committee will first be asked to consider candidates from the STILL program before commencing an external search.

FAQs

• What staff positions will be reviewed by the Hiring Review Committee?
• All staff job postings will need approval from the applicable vice chancellor/dean/vice provost; and, if approved locally, will need approval from the Hiring Review Committee to be posted. Please understand that we expect very few positions to be approved by the Committee, regardless of fund source. Therefore, it is crucial that you conduct thorough and careful reviews at the local level and only forward critical positions for consideration.
  
  The program covers a broad range of staff positions, including new career staff positions, both full-time and part-time. It also includes various position actions such as recruitment for new roles, waivers of recruitment for certain positions, internal promotions, and conversions from contract to career status. These position actions will be reviewed through the centralized process to ensure alignment with UC Davis' strategic goals and budget priorities.
• What criteria will the Hiring Review Committee use in issuing their decision?
• The Hiring Review Committee will provide guidance to HR Business Partners and the HR Advisory Committee, along with a standardized assessment tool, to help departments evaluate whether positions should be submitted for approval by the committee.
  
  The Hiring Review Committee will consider several important factors when making decisions. These include the critical nature of the role and the operational impact if the position remains unfilled, as well as the feasibility and potential cost savings from pausing the position for a period of time. The committee will also review historical staffing ratios in relation to current budget constraints. These criteria will help ensure that decisions are made strategically and in alignment with UC Davis’ priorities.

• Does the hiring review apply to temporary employees?

• Temporary Employment Services (TES) positions are not currently subject to review, but a review is being considered.  If a TES review moves forward, HR Business Partners will be notified of this requirement. 
  
  If you are currently engaging a worker through a third-party staffing agency, the contract should not be renewed and if appropriate, be reviewed for potential early cancellation.  If you need temporary help, please use the TES program.

• Are there any requirements to discontinue using contract employees or Emeriti Recall?

• All vice chancellors, deans, and vice provosts have been provided lists of their contract and temporary employees and have been asked to review and reduce staffing where possible.  Emeriti recalls should also be discontinued where feasible.

• Does the funding source for the staff position matter?
• No, the source of funds does not impact the decision to post a staff position. 
• Is there a process to appeal position requests denied by the Hiring Review Committee?
• No. However, in some cases, the committee may ask the hiring department to resubmit the request with additional information rather than issuing an immediate denial.
• Does this apply to faculty and other academic appointments?
• The Academic Affairs website provides information about faculty and other academic positions, including graduate students and post docs.
• How long will the Workforce Management Program remain in effect?
• The program will remain in place for as long as necessary, with regular reviews by the Hiring Review Committee to ensure positions align with UC Davis’ strategic priorities and budget realities.
• Does this Workforce Management Program replace the one at UC Davis Health?
• No, UC Davis Health has a successful centralized review system for staff hiring, and that process will continue unchanged. This new program is for the Davis campus only.
  
  Read more about UC Davis Health's Workforce Management Program
• What is the "Sustaining Talent in Lieu of Layoffs" program?
• This program creates a talent pool of staff affected by layoffs, who can be quickly considered for other positions once a department receives approval from the Hiring Review Committee. Before posting positions publicly, departments will be provided a list of qualified staff that must be reviewed prior to conducting an external search. 

•  Do internal job postings still need to remain open for 10 days if using the STILL program?

• Represented positions must follow the posting guidelines outlined in their contract. Consult with your Talent Acquisition Partner to determine the appropriate posting timeline for any internal recruitment under the STILL program.
• Will the STILL program extend to other UC campuses?
• At this time, STILL is a program internal to UC Davis. However, efforts are underway to evaluate the feasibility of a larger, systemwide program that can retain UC employees within the University of California.