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Committee approves wildfire recovery relief time for employees affected by January fires
Summary
The Personnel and Hiring Committee approved a CAO-backed program allowing affected City of Los Angeles employees to use a separate bank of compensated time (up to 480 hours full time, 240 hours part time) for wildfire recovery tasks; program is retroactive to Jan. 7 and expires June 30, 2026.
The Los Angeles Personnel and Hiring Committee on June 18 approved a City Administrative Officer (CAO) recommendation to create a temporary Wildfire Recovery Relief Time program for city employees affected by the January 7, 2025 Pacific Palisades and Eaton Canyon fires.
The program, presented by Jasmine Bennett of the CAO's Employee Relations Division, allows eligible full-time employees to use up to 480 hours of paid relief time and eligible part-time employees up to 240 hours. It will be effective retroactive to Jan. 7, 2025, and will expire on June 30, 2026.
The CAO described the program as a negotiated benefit developed with labor partners to help employees "manage the after effects of losing a home, suffering significant property damage, or experiencing displacement due to the wildfires," and noted that employees may apply via an online application to a review committee that will determine eligibility.
Under the negotiated parameters, each application will be reviewed by a three-member review committee composed of labor organization representative(s), a designee from the appointing authority and a designee from the Office of the CAO. The committee aims to act on requests within seven to 14 days. The CAO's office said there is no internal application deadline; employees may apply at any time before the program's expiration on June 30, 2026.
Committee members asked how many employees the city expects to qualify and how eligibility will be proven. Bennett said the Personnel Department's initial supervisor survey identified 163 employees and, after cross-checking with labor outreach, staff now estimate between 200 and 300 employees may qualify, "subject to the qualification process." The CAO said applicants will submit supporting documentation (for example, inspection appointments and addresses) and the review committee will evaluate requests based on each applicant's circumstances.
Councilmember Rodriguez asked whether humans or automated tools reviewed the initial surveys; Bennett replied that "it was humans reviewing the surveys." The committee and CAO staff also discussed safeguards for misuse; personnel discipline processes will be applied if an appointing authority finds abuse of the benefit.
The committee voted to approve the CAO recommendation. Clerk roll call recorded Councilmember Tim McOsker as voting yes, Councilmember Alejandra Rodriguez as aye, and Councilmember Grace Hutt as yes.
The committee asked staff to return with a follow-up report monitoring enrollment experience and any concerns about fraud or operational issues.
