All employees may submit grievable issues through the grievance
process as outlined in the Employee Handbook.
(1)
Purpose. The purpose of this procedure is to provide the public with
the opportunity to present grievances about the conduct of County
Board elected, appointed department heads, and/or employees.
(2)
(a)
If the head of the department is the subject of the grievance, the grievance shall be directed to the County Board Chair. The County Board Chair shall review the grievance and either resolve it or refer it to an ad hoc committee composed of himself/herself, the Chair of the committee of jurisdiction and the Chair of the Labor Relation and Employee Services Committee for review and resolution. In the event the County Board Chair or any other member of the ad hoc committee is unavailable or has a conflict, the respective Vice Chair shall serve. The County Board Chair, in the first instance, or the ad hoc committee may require the assistance and cooperation of any County employee. The County Board Chair or the ad hoc committee may appoint a County employee to conduct an investigation into such conduct and report back. Once an employee has been authorized to conduct an investigation, the designated employee has the authority to instruct the individual involved in the matter, related individuals or witnesses that they must tell the truth, and not to discuss the matter until the investigation is completed. All individuals involved in the investigation shall tell the truth and comply with the ethics section of the Employee Handbook and cooperate fully. The County Board Chair or the ad hoc committee may seek legal representation pursuant to § 1.39(1)(a) and (3) of the Code for assistance or to conduct an independent investigation with written report and recommendation to the ad hoc committee. The ad hoc committee shall inform the grievant and the department head in writing of its decision regarding the complaint/grievance.
(b)
Forms for grievances shall be provided for the convenience of the
public through the Labor Relations and Employee Services Department.
(c)
If an employee is the subject of the grievance, the grievance shall
be directed to the Human Resources Director. The Human Resources Director
shall contact the employee's department head and any other necessary
parties to review and resolve the external grievance.
