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Personnel department details layoff and displacement rules, warns of complex, time‑intensive process
Summary
The general manager of the Personnel Department outlined how layoffs would be computed under the city charter and civil service rules, including seniority calculations, displacement elections, reserve lists and appeals. Officials said accurate historical job and leave records are required and that the department will need added staff, time and IT
The Personnel Department told the Budget and Finance Committee it has begun preparatory work for a possible layoff process after the mayor’s proposed budget called for significant position eliminations.
Why it matters: The city’s charter and civil service rules govern layoffs in Los Angeles. The mechanics—how seniority is calculated, how employees may “displace” into prior positions and how reserve lists operate—directly determine which employees keep jobs and which are separated. Errors can cause lengthy appeals and service disruptions.
What personnel presented: General Manager Malaika Billups explained the steps the department must take before any layoffs can occur: correct and consolidate historical job records, compile unpaid‑leave history (some records pre‑date the city’s current payroll system), solicit “displacement elections” from employees who hold status in lower classes, and coordinate transfers to proprietary and special funds where vacancies exist.
Seniority and displacement: Personnel said two discrete seniority calculations are required. Layoff seniority ranks service in a class and all higher classes (minus unpaid leave). Displacement seniority ranks employees for the right to “bump” into lower‑class positions they previously held; employees may elect which department to displace into when they have multiple prior offices. The office used an example showing how an employee’s displacement can trigger a cascade of reassignments and layoffs in other departments.
Timing, staffing and system limits: The department said Workday contains most job histories since 2022, but earlier records live in PACER and must be reconciled. Personnel told the committee it will need additional staff and a coordinated IT process to make the calculations reliable and auditable; the last comparable citywide layoff operation (2009–10) used about 50 staff and took months. Personnel proposed collecting displacement choices now, completing record corrections over the next weeks, and—if the budget is adopted—running layoff calculations in the summer with a goal of implementing personnel actions in the fall. Staff emphasized that transfers to special funds or proprietary departments, if done early and systematically, can avoid many layoffs.
Appeals and reserve lists: Employees would have the right to appeal seniority calculations to the Civil Service Commission; personnel said appeals processes will be designed to resolve matters quickly. Laid‑off employees are placed on reserve lists (up to five years), which departments must certify from before hiring external candidates.
Ending: Personnel recommended that committee members limit late changes to position lists and allow time for the record reconciliation so any layoff process will be accurate and defensible. The department also asked for memo guidance on whether certain transfers or vacancy fills should be prioritized to reduce displacement and layoff impacts.
