Council backs phased plan to create citywide safety and loss-prevention program; pauses pay-change proposal for sworn staff

The Los Angeles City Council approved an amended recommendation from the City Administrative Officer to develop a comprehensive risk-management and loss-prevention and safety program for city employees, with a phased approach and limited new positions and consultant support.

CAO Fujioka (identified in the hearing as representing the CAO's office) told the council the office had originally requested $50,000 in consultant funds but later identified internal funds to cover that cost and asked that the appropriation be removed from the motion. He also requested that a prior recommendation to examine IOD (injured-on-duty) pay for sworn employees be withdrawn from the current motion because the city is beginning negotiations on police and fire contracts and those pay issues would be better addressed in bargaining.

The CAO asked the council to allow the CAO, the Personnel Department and the joint labor-management committee to work together to phase in the new program and to come back to the Personnel and Government Efficiency Committee with progress reports. "What we have before you is a report...asking for funding for 2 positions and the ability to bring in 2 consultants...We have identified funds within our existing budget...so I ask that that item not be part of today's motion," the CAO said.

Councilmember Check and others praised the move as a long-overdue step to address escalating workers' compensation costs; council discussion stressed that safety programs should both protect employees and reduce the city's roughly $120 million annual workers' compensation spending noted in the debate. Councilmember Goldberg asked that one item — instruction to negotiate IOD pay for sworn employees (item 7 in the report) — be sent back to committee to allow the affected union an opportunity to testify; after discussion, Goldberg withdrew her motion to remove that item and voted with the amended motion.

The council approved the amending motion (the CAO's recommendations as amended) by roll call: 14 ayes on the motion as presented in full committee action earlier, and subsequently the council recorded "14 ayes" on the amended action in open session. The record shows the council adopted the amended approach that removes the $50,000 appropriation request and delays any formal city action on IOD pay changes until formal labor negotiations.

Why it matters: City leaders described a multi-department effort to reduce workplace injuries, curb fraud, and lower workers' compensation costs so that taxpayer funds can be redirected to services. The approved approach begins a centralized effort to create a single point of authority and responsibility for loss prevention and safety across city departments.

Next steps: The CAO will work with Personnel and the joint labor-management committee to develop the program and bring progress reports back to the Personnel and Government Efficiency Committee and to council. The CAO specified the city will not seek the $50,000 consultant appropriation because internal funds will be used; the IOD pay item will be handled in contract negotiations.