Denver layoffs deliver big hits to small offices like children’s affairs, climate action

Denver s Office of Children s Affairs took the biggest percentage hit to its workforce with about a third of employees losing their jobs during a round of layoffs and restructuring carried out by city functionaries this week according to breakdowns issued Wednesday Mayor Mike Johnston presented a table with details on the layoffs across departments and agencies during an online town hall with all city employees Wednesday morning and later to reporters during a media briefing Workers affected by the layoffs had been informed on Monday and Tuesday Our layoff wave is over Johnston stated during the employee meeting That is complete The job cuts and restructuring come as Johnston s administration addresses an anticipated million shortfall in the budget Johnston communicated in May that he would implement layoffs This week his administration reported people their jobs had been eliminated Administrators also eliminated another vacant positions a number that had grown through more than a year of hiring freezes and restrictions Together the figures represent a nearly reduction in the city s authorized workforce of positions If you re heavy on people and low on vacancies you end up needing to be higher on layoffs Johnston mentioned during the media briefing noting that vacant positions resulted in lower impact on employees Wednesday s department-by-department breakdown of the impacts displayed that chosen positions were moved out of the general fund to different funding sources but were not eliminated jobs in total The Office of Children s Affairs which had positions saw employees laid off and two vacant positions eliminated That represents about a total reduction in the office The next biggest hit by percentage went to the Office of Human Rights and Locality Partnerships which had nearly of its positions affected through nine layoffs and eight vacant positions cut Third was the Office of Atmosphere Action Sustainability and Resiliency which had five layoffs and vacant positions eliminated representing a reduction Related Articles Colorado s AI regulations split lawmakers as they pitch reforms for special session It s a mess Denver City Council postpones nearly mountain retreat amid layoffs of city workers Denver s layoffs of employees and elimination of vacant positions helps cut budget gap in half Denver begins laying off employees eliminates hundreds of vacant positions Salvation Army won t run three large Denver homeless shelters amid council pushback protests The smallest relative reductions were for Denver Fire and Denver Police where uniformed personnel were insulated from cuts Both saw a less than decrease in positions all through vacancies eliminated The mayor s office laid off three employees and cut eight vacant positions for a total reduction of of its positions The highest number of layoffs of any department or agency in the breakdown was in one of the largest the Department of Transportation and Infrastructure which laid off employees DOTI also elimintated vacant positions with all the cuts representing of its positions This is a progressing story that will be updated Stay up-to-date with Colorado Politics by signing up for our weekly newsletter The Spot