Ranked #51 among all 600 listed institutions, UC Davis Health's efforts towards improving the employee experience are recognized on a national scale.

UC Davis Health’s success as a large health care employer is directly tied to the many efforts that have strengthened inclusivity across the organization. These achievements have also earned the health system a Forbes’ distinction as a Best Employer in the State, Best Employer for Diversity, and Best Employer for Women, as well as Newsweek’s selection as one of the Greatest Workplaces for Families in the country.

"As the #1 public health system on this list, UC Davis Health is demonstrating what it takes to be one of America's best health system employers," said David Lubarsky, CEO of UC Davis Health and Vice Chancellor of Human Health Sciences. 

He continues, “This is something we have been working on for quite some time, because this recognition is based upon three years’ worth of data.  Being honored in this way demonstrates our longstanding commitment to expanding inclusivity and support for all employees across our organization, putting patients at the center of everything we do and focusing on delivering tomorrow's healthcare today."

Chief among UC Davis Health’s model workplace efforts involved last year’s CommUNITY Feedback Survey wherein employees indicated they had a 'very high likelihood of recommending their employer as a great place to work’— one of Forbes’ criteria in their methodology.

Also relevant is the competitive benefits package available to employees which includes tuition reimbursement, financial planning, employee discounts, lactation support, generous paid time off, and low-cost primary care and childcare. Comprehensive programs that help combat burnout include mental health support (A.S.A.P.), parental and catastrophic leave (LOA), robust health and wellness resources, and cohesive programs dedicated to Staff and Faculty Health and Well-being (SFHWB) and work life balance (WorkLife).

In addition to all this, UC Davis embraces principles of community throughout, and UC Davis Health specifically embraces its values of kindness, trust and inclusion. Feb. 12-16 was Principles of Community Week 2024 and throughout the week, all staff, faculty and students were encouraged to engage in a variety of opportunities to learn new perspectives, embrace collective learning, share lived experiences within psychologically safe spaces, and forge deeper, more meaningful connections with fellow colleagues.

Prioritizing employees from pre-hire to retirement

Although UC Davis has been recognized numerous times as a great place to work, continuous improvement remains a top priority. The future looks bright as ever for current and future employees, thanks to an ongoing initiative called The Hiring Experience This two-year effort aims to accelerate successful hiring, improve the employee onboarding experience, and result in greater employee retention. With streamlined processes, better data, smarter tools and training, the health system is turning the hiring process into a welcome and rewarding experience for all involved.

“We see improving the hiring process as a catalyst in improving employee engagement and operational excellence, as well as a foundational step in achieving UC Davis Health’s five-year clinical strategic plan,” says Tammy Kenber, Chief Human Resources Officer.

“It’s tremendously rewarding to have Forbes’ confirm that our employees feel valued, supported, and excited to be part of our team, delivering tomorrow’s healthcare today!”

Methodology

The annual ranking by Forbes is based on an independent survey of approximately 170,000 participants from a wide range of companies with 1,000 or more employees in the U.S. Respondents were asked to rate their willingness to recommend their employer to family and friends, as well as other factors such as working conditions, potential for development, organizational culture, and company image. For more on the survey and methodology, visit here.