Board reports 86% retention, $107 million position authority and Bay Area hiring challenges

Chief Administrative Services Officer Bobby Silva reported Wednesday that the appeals board ended fiscal year 2024-25 with an employee retention rate of 86%, consistent with recent years, and that the agency received position authority for 567.9 positions and approximately $107,000,000 in the governor's June budget documents. Silva told the board the agency hired two new support staff since the last meeting and is continuing to manage limited-term appointments and conversions. He said the Bay Area offices, particularly in Oakland, are having trouble recruiting entry-level office technicians because of the local cost of living; managers are pursuing seasonal clerks as a partial solution so candidates can gain experience and compete later for full-time roles. Silva said he will present the agency's detailed categorized budget at the board's next meeting and recommended limiting large purchases until the board formally adopts the budget. Board members asked how the agency's retention rate compared to other state agencies; Silva said he would research that question and follow up. The discussion covered classification constraints (managers cannot raise pay grades for the same duties) and the lack of statewide parking reimbursements as factors that complicate Bay Area recruitment. There was no board vote on the budget at the August meeting; Silva said the agency received the detailed budget documents an hour before the meeting and will return with a formal budget presentation for board adoption at the next meeting.