Grievance

Eckerd strives to maintain open communication and create an atmosphere of trust. In any work environment, there are times when the need arises to express concerns or complaints in a formal manner. The college recognizes the importance of providing an opportunity for its employees to express concerns and receive a fair and unbiased review of these concerns.

The college will attempt to resolve issues without the use of the formal procedure, which follows:

• Complaints will receive prompt and considerate action.

• Employees choosing to file a formal grievance will not jeopardize their position.

• The college’s grievance procedure is open only to employees of the college.

• No external representative may be present at any meeting.

• The employee may choose to be accompanied by another college employee.

Step 1

Discussion with Immediate Supervisor

A formal concern or complaint should first be discussed with the immediate supervisor. Most concerns can be resolved at this level if an employee and supervisor take time to discuss the concern and seek ways to jointly address the concern. Employees who wish to file a discrimination or harassment complaint should skip this step if the harassment complaint is directed at the supervisor. If the supervisor and the employee are not able to reach an agreement satisfactory to both individuals, the employee should schedule a meeting with the department head to formally submit the complaint.

Step 2

Discussion with Department Head

If the complaint or concern is not resolved to the satisfaction of both the employee and the supervisor, the employee should schedule a meeting with the department head or second level supervisor. The following information should be presented in writing:

• The specific complaint or concern,any facts or additional information which could be useful to help in the evaluation of the complaint, and/or

• The specific remedy or corrective action sought. The department head should evaluate the information received and respond to the employee as quickly as possible. The response should be presented to the employee in memorandum format.

Step 3

Formal Written Grievance

If the issue is not resolved to the satisfaction of the employee and the department head, the employee should submit a formal appeal to Human Resources within five (5) working days of receipt of the decision of the department head and should include all information presented in step 2. Human Resources will review the information submitted with the appropriate Vice President and ensure that the statement of grievance and remedy sought are clear.