DEC bumping & layoffs to start

Sent: Monday, November 08, 2010 3:17 PM

Subject: Reduction in force (layoffs)

At this morning's DEC Executive staff / Regional Director / Division Director meeting, we were further briefed on the current status of DEC's layoff plan:
- DEC Executive staff met with Union representatives last Friday (11/5) afternoon and discussed the current status of DEC's workforce reduction plan.

- DEC's plan has not been finalized, but should be submitted to DOB this afternoon (11/8) or tomorrow morning

- DEC will send out letters to affected staff and potentially affected staff (via seniority and horizontal/ vertical displacement (ie "bumping")) by the end of this week or early next week. These letters will be hand delivered to staff by Division Director, Regional Director or staff supervisor. Individuals will have one week to respond to the letter.

- DEC is using the "one choice" method, based on seniority and the assumption that an affected (or potentially affected) individual will accept a "displacement" (move to another location/ position) instead of a layoff. In a nutshell, individuals will receive a letter that indicates their position is targeted (or may be via displacement by someone with greater seniority) and they have a choice to accept the layoff or accept the horizontal (or vertical) position indicated in the letter (ergo the "one choice").

- Staff receiving a letter will have one week to respond to DEC personnel indicating their choice (lay-off or other position).

- Based on the responses to the one choice letter, there may be other scenarios that will play out (e.g. if a more senior person opts for retirement or a lay-off instead of the other position), and these may be discussed via telephone or other more rapid communication with DEC Personnel Office.

- On December 10, all staff affected by the layoff will receive a letter confirming such.

- All staff being laid off will be off the payroll effective cob 12/31/2010.

Additional points:
- No one at DEC has actually gone through this layoff/ bumping scenario before (certainly not at this scale) so we are proceeding very cautiously and double-checking to make sure that affected/ potentially affect individuals are properly notified, and no one is unnecessarily being notified

- All DEC staff were asked in Spring 2009 to confirm their seniority from the seniority list provided by Civil Service and there has been few new hires since that time

- Anyone questioning their seniority should contact DEC Personnel and discuss

- For each targeted position, there are approximately 3 letters being sent out due to seniority and horizontal/ vertical bumping scenarios. Therefore, for the approximately 150 targeted positions, approximately 400 - 450 staff will receive a letter.

This is a most difficult time for all DEC and other New York State agency staff. The uncertainty with these workforce reductions and who / how individuals will be affected coupled with the recent loss of staff via retirements and the pending Holiday season pose significant challenges to us all. Now, more than ever, we need to be supportive of each other.

I have tried to disseminate this fairly widely to DFWMR staff, but please share with others I may have missed.

Doug

Douglas Stang
Assistant Director
Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources
New York State Dept. Environmental Conservation
625 Broadway
Albany, New York 12233-4753