UC Davis Health earns dual national recognition on Forbes 2025 employer lists

UC Davis Health has once again been recognized among the nation’s top employers, earning a place on Forbes’ inaugural list of America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals and, for the fourth consecutive year, on the America’s Best Employers for Women list.

These distinctions reflect the impact of long-term efforts to build a workplace where safety, inclusion and professional growth are not abstract goals, but deliberate practices shaped by ongoing programs.

Prioritizing care for caregivers

UC Davis Health’s inclusion on the first-ever Forbes list for healthcare professionals highlights a commitment to supporting those on the front lines of patient care.

A cornerstone of this effort is the Workplace Violence Prevention Unit, which brings together clinical, security, and administrative expertise to address violence in healthcare settings. Their work goes beyond protocols, offering evolving pre- and post-vention tools and follow up after incidents. They also provide training on trauma’s hidden impact, recognizing distress in colleagues, destigmatizing mental health, and practical de-escalation strategies. This layered approach reflects a simple but pervasive belief: employees deserve to feel as safe and supported as the patients they serve.

UC Davis Health also fosters well-being through robust benefits and time-off programs, paired with workshops that encourage employees to understand and use these resources fully. Campaigns like “Plan Your Vacation Day” remind staff that rest and recovery are essential to sustaining excellence, not secondary to it.

That message is brought to life in “How Nurses Care for Themselves”, a recent feature where nurses speak candidly about how balance and community help them continue to provide exceptional care. Their stories exemplify the organization’s belief that caring for patients begins with caring for each other.

Sustained progress, tangible change for women

For the fourth consecutive year, UC Davis has been named among America’s Best Employers for Women, reflecting deliberate, ongoing efforts to create an environment where women at all levels can thrive.

Programs like the UC Women’s Initiative for Professional Development open doors for mid-career leaders across the UC system, while UC Womxn in Tech builds networks and visibility in fields where representation is still catching up. The Status of Women at Davis Administrative Advisory Committee continues to push for systemic change through summits that focus on visibility, support and mentoring for women leaders.

Inclusive hiring practices have also made a measurable impact. Through training such as Hiring for Success, diversity, equity and inclusion are embedded into each step of the recruitment process. As of Oct. 2024, women held 54.5% of Manager and Senior Professional roles across UC Davis, reflecting how structural changes create real opportunities.

Support for employees extends beyond career development. WorkLife, the Lactation Support Program, and the Trans and Non-Binary Employee Resource Toolkit help employees navigate personal milestones and identities with dignity and support. These resources ensure that employees of every gender identity see their needs supported in tangible ways.

A workplace shaped by people

These two national recognitions build on UC Davis Health’s five-year streak on Forbes’ Best Employers for Diversity list. Initiatives like I-DARE (Inclusion, Diversity, Anti-Racism and Equity) and the growth of Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) have turned inclusion from a policy into a living practice.

These efforts, alongside enhanced career development opportunities and a sustained focus on local hiring, are helping to create a workplace where all employees can see themselves represented and supported well into the future. 

Forbes methodology

Both distinctions are based entirely on anonymous employee feedback gathered through large-scale surveys conducted by the independent research firm Statista.

• America’s Best Employers for Healthcare Professionals 2025 is based on responses from more than 17,000 employees in healthcare and social services. Participants rated their employers on wages, working conditions and schedules, safety, career advancement opportunities, and their likelihood of recommending their workplace to others. Responses gathered over three years informed the final list of 250 top organizations nationwide.
  
  
• America’s Best Employers for Women 2025 draws on more than 150,000 survey responses and over 4 million employer evaluations. Women evaluated their employers on workplace atmosphere and development, diversity, pay equity, flexibility, family support, leadership representation and more. Public recommendations and the gender makeup of top leadership were also factored into the rankings.