Hayward staff reports 9.4% citywide vacancy rate under new state law; recruitment incentives and remote‑work rules under review

Hayward city staff presented the council with an AB 25 61‑required vacancy report on staffing, recruitment and retention on June 3, saying the city had 90 vacant positions — 9.4% of 956.3 full‑time equivalent positions budgeted — as of April 30, 2025.

Deputy Director of Human Resources Ian Texan opened the presentation and said AB 25 61, part of Government Code section 3502.3 and effective Jan. 1, 2025, requires employers to provide this information prior to final budget adoption. Texan said the presentation covered current vacancies, recruitment and retention efforts, hiring difficulties and the city’s responses.

Human Resources manager Selena Flores said the city posted 100 job openings during the reporting period (July 1, 2024–April 30, 2025), processed 9,280 applications and filled 199 vacancies through a mix of open recruitments, promotions and eligible lists. Flores said there were 99 new hires, 110 promotions and 63 separations during the reporting period. She noted the Fire Chiefs Association unit showed a 50% vacancy rate because the unit has two positions and one was vacant.

Flores and Texan described recruitment measures the city has pursued, including hiring incentives for difficult‑to‑fill public‑safety roles, competitive salary and benefits, flexible work arrangements, targeted outreach and modernizing applicant tracking and onboarding with NeoGov. They said the city has begun tracking applicant demographic data, expanded outreach at job fairs and community events, and is implementing a digital learning management system and other career development supports.

Council members asked for more detail to make vacancy data more actionable for budget decisions. Council member Seirup said the timing of the report relative to the budget matters and requested future reports include longevity of vacancies and the date of most recent requisitions so the council can assess which positions are stale and which are actively being recruited. Council member Bonilla asked how Hayward’s 9.4% rate compares with neighboring jurisdictions; staff said peer vacancy rates range roughly from about 6% to 14%.

On remote work, staff said department directors now decide which roles are eligible for flexible arrangements but that administrative rules are under review. Acting City Manager Lawson said the city will resume a formal review of remote‑work policy after the budget adoption and acknowledged an equity question because many public‑safety and maintenance roles cannot be remote. Lawson also told the council that managing vacancies will be a major element of budget planning, estimating vacancy management as a lever to address the fiscal gap in the proposed budget.

No formal council action was required for the informational report. Council members requested that future vacancy reports provide time‑to‑fill metrics, how long positions have been vacant, and clearer parameters around remote work eligibility.