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Agenda Item
4.2 26-0467 Subject: Informational Report On City-Wide Staffing - February 2026
From: Human Resources Management Department
Recommendation: Conduct A Public Hearing And Upon Conclusion Receive An Informational Report On City-Wide Staffing From The City Administrator Regarding (1) Citywide Vacancy Rates And Status As Of February 1, 2026, (2) Budgeted Vacancy Rate For Fiscal Year 2025/26 (3) The Vacancy Rates Of Regional Local Public Entities, (4) Recruitment Outreach And Community Engagement, And (5) The Analysis Of The City Workforce And Recruitment Conditions
Hi Council Members, as a city employee I'd like to add context to the informational report. I work in the Planning and Building Department, which has a 30% vacancy rate. We have lost several people within the last year, all in senior roles - with no replacement. The work these people were doing does not go away - it gets put on others. This fuels burnout and further turnover within a revenue generating department.
Additionally, our department management, under pressure from city administration - is advertising expanded public services to the public.
See Oakland Linkedin page advertising expanded Permit Center hours.
Our department heads say they can't hire people, as they're afraid of impending layoffs of whoever they hire - next budget cycle.
So employees and the public are stuck in an exploitive relationship where we're told we can't properly staff departments due to fear of layoffs every year...
This isn't just an HR issue, it's an administration and council issue for getting us in this budgetary situation with years of mismanagement.
Now the public and workers pay the price.
Hi Council Members, as a city employee I'd like to add context to the informational report. I work in the Planning and Building Department, which has a 30% vacancy rate. We have lost several people within the last year, all in senior roles - with no replacement. The work these people were doing does not go away - it gets put on others. This fuels burnout and further turnover within a revenue generating department.
Additionally, our department management, under pressure from city administration - is advertising expanded public services to the public.
See Oakland Linkedin page advertising expanded Permit Center hours.
Our department heads say they can't hire people, as they're afraid of impending layoffs of whoever they hire - next budget cycle.
So employees and the public are stuck in an exploitive relationship where we're told we can't properly staff departments due to fear of layoffs every year...
This isn't just an HR issue, it's an administration and council issue for getting us in this budgetary situation with years of mismanagement.
Now the public and workers pay the price.