Follow the steps below to calculate seniority for decisions made during layoff or reduction in time.
- Prepare to calculate seniority
- Contact your Employee Relations Consultant to determine:
- Your layoff unit
- Which job classifications will be affected by layoff in your department
- Create a list of all employees in the layoff unit who have the same job classification as the positions scheduled for layoff
- Collect time records for each employee in the classifications targeted for layoff
- Contact your Employee Relations Consultant to determine:
- Calculate seniority
- For each employee, assign one seniority point for each month worked on a full-time basis and partial points for less-than-full-time employees.
- Example: An employee works one month on a full-time basis and earns 1 seniority point. The next month, the employee works 75% on a full-time basis. The employee's seniority points total 1.75.
- Other factors that affect seniority:
- Only employment while on pay status counts toward seniority.
- All types of paid time (e.g., vacation, Workers' Compensation) count toward seniority.
- Employment before a break in service (separation from employment status) does not count unless the employee had been laid off with preference and re-employed within the preferential rehire period.
- Determine seniority calculation method by reviewing Personnel Policy for Staff Members or the applicable collective bargaining agreement.
- Out-of-seniority retentions:
- If individuals in your department possess special knowledge, skills, and abilities (e.g., certifications or licenses) required for business operations, you may be able to retain them regardless of seniority.
- For each employee, assign one seniority point for each month worked on a full-time basis and partial points for less-than-full-time employees.
- Create a seniority list
- Based on your calculations in Step 2, create a list of career employees in the same layoff unit and same classification in order of seniority (highest to lowest points).
- The least senior career employees in the same layoff unit and same classification are considered first for layoff.
- Check your calculations.
- Contact your Employee Relations Consultant to verify your seniority calculations.
If you have questions, please contact Employee & Labor Relations at UC Davis or UC Davis Health.