Employee Complaints or Concerns
Each employee may request clarification of action that has been taken; review of perceived manifestly unfair or clearly inequitable treatment; or review of a perceived violation, misinterpretation or inequitable application of policies in this Handbook. The College's goal is to resolve concerns as quickly as possible. If an employee believes that a College policy or procedure has been violated, the concern should be raised first with the supervisor who took the action. Concerns should always be discussed with supervisors on an informal basis before any formal action is pursued. Time limits are prescribed for each step in the complaint process. This policy does not apply to complaints regarding discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. Those complaints should be made pursuant to the reporting procedures set forth in the College’s policies regarding discrimination, harassment, and retaliation.
Complaints shall be presented to the supervisor no later than one month (or no less than 20 working days) after the occurrence of the event. The following steps should be taken:
Step One: The problem or concern is taken to the immediate supervisor(s). Most problems can be worked out at this level. The employee should indicate that she/he would like to have a written response from the supervisor “in accordance with Section 800[MG1] , Step One.” The supervisor should document the date on which the complaint was first discussed and the date(s) on which the incident(s) occurred, state the concern(s) raised by the employee and, after consultation with an administrative-level supervisor, respond to the employee’s concern(s) in writing within two weeks (or 10 working days) of the date on which the employee raised the concern.
Step Two: If the employee is not satisfied with the decision response by the immediate supervisor(s), he/she may present their complaint in writing to the Director of Human Resources, attaching the written response of the supervisor(s). This request must be made within ten (10) working days from the receipt of the response.
The appeal employee’s complaint should contain the following information:
- Employee's statement of the complaint or problem and the facts upon which it is based
- Date(s) of the occurrence(s)
- Witness(es) to the occurrence(s), if any
- A copy of the supervisor's written response
- The remedy or corrective action sought
- Signature of the employee
If all timelines have been observed, the Director of Human Resources shall have one month (20 working days) in which to research/investigate the matter and respond to the employee in writing. Reasons for the determination made will be provided in the response. If timelines have not been observed the Director may choose whether to investigate, but the complaint will lose its status as a formal complaint[MG2] .
Step Three: If further remedy is sought, the employee may appeal may be made to the President within two weeks (10 working days). The President will review all complaint documentation and make a determination within a reasonable period of time. The decision of the President is final and binding. If the President is a party to the complaint, the Board of Trustees will accept the appeal in lieu of the President and their decision will be final and binding.
While the College desires to resolve all employee complaints (informally, if possible,) the College retains the right to direct its employees and to discipline or discharge employees at its sole discretion.
Mediation Activities
Two or more employees who cannot settle a disagreement between themselves may request the assistance of a trained mediator. Contact the Human Resources Office for a list of available facilitators for assistance in working out a mutually agreeable arrangement for all parties.