City of Palm Springs
AB 2561 Presentation
Vacancies, Recruitment, and Retention Efforts
Presented by
Stephanie George
Director of Human Resources
Agenda
• AB 2561 Overview
• Workforce at a glance
• Vacancies
• Recruitments
• Retention Efforts
• Challenges
Overview - Background
On September 22, 2024, Governor Newsom signed AB 2561 into law to amend the Meyers-Milias-Brown Act and create a new obligation for public agencies to publicly address the status of their vacancies.
As a basis for the new requirements, the California Legislature determined that vacancies are widespread and can be a significant problem in the public sector.
Overview - Requirements
Presentation at a public hearing at least once per fiscal year prior to adopting an annual budget. Required information for presentation:
• Status of vacancies, recruitment, and retention efforts • Must allow the recognized employee organization for a bargaining unit to make a presentation at the hearing.
Overview - Requirements
If the number of job vacancies within a single bargaining unit meets or exceeds 20% of the total number of authorized full-time positions, the public agency, upon request of the recognized employee organization, must include the following information during the public hearing:
1) Total number of job vacancies
2) Total number of applicants for vacant positions
3) The average number of days to complete the hiring process 4) Opportunities to improve compensation and other working conditions
Workforce at a glance
Total Budgeted Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) Positions: 659.5 • General Unit (277) – Public Employees Association of Palm Springs • Management Unit (128.5) – Management Association of Palm Springs • Fire Safety Unit (82) – Palm Springs Firefighters Association • Fire Management Unit (6) – Palm Springs Fire Management Association • Police Safety Unit (105) – Palm Springs Police Officers Association • Police Management Unit (6) – Palm Springs Police Management Association • Executive Unit (54) – Unrepresented
Vacancies (as of 3/10/26)
Citywide vacancy rate: 9.7%
• General Unit – 12%
• Management Unit – 13%
• Fire Safety Unit – 5%
• Fire Management Unit – 0%
• Police Safety Unit – 6%
• Police Management Unit – 0%
• Executive Unit – 6%
Recruitment Process
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Recruitment/Hiring Process Step Description
Vacancy Created Voluntary Separation, Retirement, Involuntary Separation, Internal Movement, Newly Budgeted Position Recruitment Requisition Manager submits recruitment requisition to fill vacancy, HR Director approves recruitment requisition for HR to process Determine Recruitment Type Utilize existing eligibility list/ongoing recruitment, recruit external & internal, or recruit internal only Job Posting Advertise job opening and recruitment on websites and agency social media Application Screening Pass applicants that meet minimum qualifications and eligibility requirements - Written/Practical Exam Review and pass candidate that receive a passing score on written/practical exam - Panel Oral Exam Review and pass candidates that receive a passing score on the oral exam - Subject Matter Expert Review Review and pass candidates that receive a passing score on a subject matter expert review Eligibility List HR refers top candidates on eligibility list to Hiring Manager for interview Interview Hiring Manager and panel interviews candidates and selects candidate Conditional Job Offer HR makes conditional job offer to selected candidate and initiates the hiring process Job Placement Selected candidate passes background check and physical, and is given an employment start date Retention Efforts
• Competitive Compensation – including hiring bonus for difficult-to-fill positions
• Generous Benefit and Leave Plans – highly rated areas on employee exit surveys
• Employee Engagement and Mentorship Programs – improves morale and assists with succession planning
Challenges
• National Staffing Shortages / Challenges
• High Cost of Living Area
• Soft Hiring Freeze
Thank you