Employee Dispute Resolution
I. Grievances
A. For purposes of this Policy, grievances are those complaints by employees of the University (except as described in I.E. below) relating to:
- Alleged wrongful termination or demotion;
- Substantial disagreement regarding an unsatisfactory work performance evaluation;
- The availability or amount of any employee benefits such as holidays, vacations, or sick leave; or
- Significant matters affecting terms or conditions of employment.
B. The time limits described below may be extended by the Director of Human Resources, if extenuating circumstances should arise such as sickness or accident.
C. The University will not tolerate any form of reprisal and/or punitive action resulting from the filing or attempted filing of a grievance.
D. The procedure outlined herein is an internal, administrative process and outside counsel may not participate.
E. Employees who are covered by the Collective Bargaining Agreement or the Faculty Promotion and Tenure Guidelines shall not be covered by this Policy.
II. Procedures
A. The employee must discuss any complaint covered by this Policy with his/her immediate supervisor and make a concerted effort to resolve the issue in dispute without relying on the more formalized process outlined below. The discussion should occur as soon after the employee has been notified of the disputed matter as reasonably possible. Five (5) working days is a workable guideline.
Step One: Written Statement
If employee is not satisfied with the results of this discussion, the employee must initiate the formal grievance process with a written statement. The supervisor's written response should be made within ten (10) working days after the receipt of the employee's written statement.
Step Two: Appeal
If the employee and his/her immediate supervisor are unable to resolve the employee's complaint, the employee may appeal in writing to the next most immediate supervisor and the Director of Human Resources. The written appeal must contain a reasonably detailed description of the complaint and must be delivered within five (5) working days to Human Resources and the immediate supervisor, after the immediate supervisor has provided a written response as required in Step 1. The response to the written appeal should be made within ten (10) working days of the receipt of the appeal.
Step Three: Final Resolution
If the Director of Human Resources and the next most immediate supervisor are unable to agree on a resolution of the grievance, the matter will be resolved by the Provost, or the appropriate Vice Chancellor, or a designee will be appointed, if the Vice Chancellor is the direct supervisor. A decision at Step Three will be final. |
