Kaiser Permanente to lay off 161 workers

Kaiser Permanente plans to lay off more than 150 workers in California by December 11, according to a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification notice filed in the state. The layoffs will affect 147 workers in Alameda, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, Sacramento, and San Diego counties, with the majority being effective as of November 20.

The company filed separate WARN notices for permanent layoffs of seven staff positions in Alameda County and one in Sacramento County, effective December 11. Six more positions are being eliminated in Alameda, Los Angeles, and San Diego counties, effective December 4.

The total number of permanent layoffs in California will be 161 workers. 49 healthcare workers who received layoff notices on October 12 include general radiologic technologists, mammographers, sonographers, CT technologists, and MRI technologists, according to SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West.

Patients across Northern California will experience longer wait times for X-rays, CT scans, MRIs, ultrasounds, and mammograms due to the layoffs, the union said. However, Kaiser Permanente stated that the layoffs are not due to AI taking over the work.

Kaiser Permanente released a statement explaining that the company is transitioning from a regional float/pool staffing model to having radiology and imaging positions dedicated locally. This change aims to better align staffing with patient care needs while creating more stable, permanent assignments for employees.

The company plans to redeploy as many affected employees as possible into permanent roles within their medical centers and service areas. 90 open radiology and imaging technologist positions are currently available across Northern California. For eligible employees who cannot be immediately placed, Kaiser Permanente will provide support to help them transition, including education and training benefits, outplacement services, and wages and benefits continuation, for up to one year.