Kaiser Permanente Lays Off 100+ Employees Nationwide in a Biz Optimisation Drive

Reportedly, 65 of the affected positions are based in Northern California, including 12 workers across three Oakland offices, 41 workers in a Pleasanton office, one worker in South San Francisco and one in Walnut Creek.

Kaiser Permanente, one of the largest healthcare organisations in the United States, has started laying off more than 100 IT positions nationwide, with the majority in Northern California.

According to the company, it is a difficult but necessary decision to eliminate some roles as part of its ongoing efforts to optimise its operations and align with its strategic priorities.

Reportedly, 65 of the affected positions are based in Northern California, including 12 workers across three Oakland offices, 41 workers in a Pleasanton office, one worker in South San Francisco and one in Walnut Creek. However, no union workers were affected in this round of layoffs.

"We do not make decisions lightly that affect our valued employees," a spokesperson for Kaiser shared in a statement.

We are committed to ensuring everyone is treated with respect and gratitude for their contributions. If an impacted employee cannot be retained in another position or chooses not to remain with Kaiser Permanente, we offer generous severance packages, career support, and outplacement services," he added.

The Kaiser spokesperson further affirmed that with currently over 13,000 open positions, Kaiser has around 220,000 employees and 24,000 physicians. None of the recent layoffs will impact the system's patient care and service.

What Led This Drive

The layoffs came months after the healthcare organisation laid off 49 workers of which 28 were Bay Area-based in its human-resources employee services division after contracting services from an outside firm. These layoffs coincided with a significant three-day strike by 75,000 Kaiser employees, marking the largest healthcare industry strike in American history.

The protest was driven by employee dissatisfaction with burnout, understaffing, and corporate outsourcing practices at Kaiser Permanente. The company and its union struck a deal less than a week later amid the threat of a 10-day strike, securing increased minimum wage, guaranteed raises and more investments in employee training and hiring.

Founded in 1945 by industrialist Henry J Kaiser and physician Sidney R Garfield, Kaiser Permanente aims to provide high-quality, affordable healthcare services. Currently, Kaiser Permanente operates in eight states (Hawaii, Washington, Oregon, California, Colorado, Maryland, Virginia, and Georgia) and the District of Columbia, and serves more than 12 million members. The company is known for its integrated care model that combines preventive medicine with chronic disease management.

In another such development, recently the Goa Government imposed ESMA on Pharma sectors to evert strikes. This decision aims to ensure the continuous manufacturing, packaging, distribution, and transportation of pharmaceutical products and components, recognising their vital role in public health.