Last Updated: April 9, 2025 4:31:44 PM PDT
This page contains essential information about the current staff hiring pause.
Alert
Effective February 19, 2025, UC San Diego is pausing hiring for core-funded positions. The pause will be in place until further notice, and may be amended if circumstances change. The campus will be notified of changes by email and on this page. FAQs on this page will also be updated in response to questions and as new information becomes available.
Guidelines
All staff recruitments on campus are subject to review and approval based on the following scope:
- Core and non-core funded career, contract, and STE positions: VC Designee and CHRO approval required
- Note: Contract and STE extensions (including those requiring the creation of Job Descriptions) are exempt from approvals
- Non-academic Student Employees, TES, and 3rd party agencies generally: Heightened scrutiny recommended
The following positions are generally exempt from the approval process:
- Non-academic Student Employees and temporary employees (including Temporary Employment Services and 3rd party agencies) will be generally allowed.
- Health System and Health Sciences hiring as they already have a rigorous review process.
- Staff Promotion Program opportunities will still be allowed as long as no backfill is planned but will be captured using HireOnline in the Exception process tracking.
Exceptions and Exception process
The approval workflow for the Staff Hiring Pause has moved to HireOnline.
We have provided step-by-step articles on the Requisition Approval Workflow for Requesters and the Requisition Approval Workflow for Approvers, both available in our Employee Center support resources. Going forward, please submit all approvals using HireOnline and following the procedure.
Note: For any requisition started using the interim approval process, please complete approvals using that process.
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What about grant-funded positions?
Expectation for Department and VC Authority to exercise the utmost scrutiny to consider if grant-funding under threat or potential threat of Federal action or other external factors that would implicate the Department utilizing core funds to cover employee costs.
What about recruitments submitted but not completed before February 19, 2025?
HR will send a list of pending recruitments to each VC so they can determine if they want to cancel the recruitment or finish it depending on what stage of the process it is in with recommendations.
- If a recruitment continues (because it is at the point of no-return or potential reputational risk), but the candidate declines, the recruitment will end unless otherwise can meet the review of the exception process outlined.
What about external consultants?
External consultants should not be hired to avoid the hiring pause for career employees.
- Procurement will be on alert for these types of requests.
Do I need any additional approvals if I have already initiated the interview process?
It's likely, yes. Given the ambiguity of the current funding and budget environment, we want to be very thoughtful about the need for current positions (especially core-funded positions), and our commitment to both the campus and any candidate we hire that the position is still needed and can be funded for the expected term of the position.
Do I need any additional approvals if I have already extended an offer?
It's likely, yes. Given the ambiguity of the current funding and budget environment, we want to be very thoughtful about the commitment we're making to the candidate/new employee and to the university.
- Have you carefully reassessed your funds for your role? Are you confident they will remain available for the term of this position? These are important questions to answer before moving forward with offer completion.
Does the hiring pause include reclassifications?
No. Currently the hiring pause only covers recruitments, though VC areas or departments may decide to make the pause stricter than the campus requirements. If the scope of the pause changes at the campus level, you will be notified.
How can I determine if the position is considered mission critical?
You will want to work with your area leadership to make that determination. It's helpful to think of the following items during your assessment:
- What are your mission critical operations?
- What things do you do that, if you didn't do them, would turn the lights off at the university, damage the reputation, impact human or animal life?
- Who provides that in your organization?
Non-academic student employees are listed as an approved Exemption. Are academic student employees not included in the Exemption (our Teaching Assistants, Associate Instructors, Readers, etc.)?
Academic student employees are not included in this hiring pause since they fall under academic purview. We recommend reaching out to GEPA or APS for additional information.
Will contract extensions be issued during this hiring pause?
Yes, extensions for contract employees is currently exempt from approvals. You may proceed with extensions using the normal process.
What is the approval process for new stipend requests for staff taking on additional duties as a result of the hiring pause?
No change unless your VC or department has implemented a change.
I can't find the hiring exception questions. What are they and where do I find them?
The hiring exception questions are located in department-specific approval forms and in the HireOnline requisition. We've also listed them below:
- Is the position core funded? If not, how is the position funded?
- Is the position mission critical?
- What is the consequence of not filling the position?
- Can the work be reallocated through reorganization?
- Can the position be temporarily backfilled with available talent from another area that has capacity?