Grievance Procedure Spelman is committed to providing the best possible working conditions for its employees. Part of this commitment is encouraging an open and frank atmosphere in which any problem, complaint, suggestion, or question receives a timely response from Spelman management. Spelman strives to ensure fair and honest treatment of all employees. All members of management and employees are expected to treat each other with mutual respect. Both are encouraged to offer positive and constructive criticism. If employees disagree with established rules of conduct, policies, or practices, they can express their concern through the problem resolution procedure. No employee will be penalized, formally or informally, for voicing a complaint with Spelman in a reasonable, business-like manner, or for using the grievance procedure. If a situation occurs when employees believe that a condition of employment or a decision affecting them is unjust or inequitable, they are encouraged to make use of the following steps. The employee may discontinue the procedure at any step. 1. Employee presents grievance to immediate supervisor after incident occurs. A written grievance statement should be submitted to the supervisor outlining the following: a. nature of the grievance and the facts upon which it is based. b. the legislation, rule, regulation, policy or procedure, if any, that is alleged to have been violated. c. the remedy or relief requested. If supervisor is unavailable or employee believes it would be inappropriate to contact that person, employee may present problem to the next level of management. This statement must be submitted within ten (10) working days following the event(s) on which the grievance is based. 1. Supervisor responds to problem during discussion or after consulting with appropriate management, when necessary. The supervisor should give his or her written response to the employee within ten (10) working days after the statement is received. All documentation should be forwarded to the Director of Human Resources for retention. 2. If the employee is dissatisfied with the supervisor's response, a written appeal stating the reasons for continued dissatisfaction may be made to the supervisor's manager. Copies of the grievance statement and the supervisor's response should be attached. This appeal should be submitted within five (5) working days of receipt of the supervisor's response. A copy of the appeal and all attachments should be forwarded to the Director of Human Resources. 3. The manager receiving the appeal will investigate the grievance. This may include meetings with he employee, the supervisor, and the Director of Human Resources. After reaching a decision, the manager will send a written response to the employee within 10 working days after receipt of the appeal. A copy of this decision will be sent to the Director of Human Resources. 4. The Office of Human Resources will review the facts and consult with employee and manager. Human Resources will facilitate an appropriate resolution based on the facts of the situation and any policies or laws that may be applicable. 5. If appropriate, all facts and recommendations for resolution will be presented to the division Vice-president for review and concurrence. 6. Vice President/Provost reviews and considers resolution. Vice President/Provost or designee informs employee of decision and forwards copy of written response to Office of Human Resources for employee's file. Issues may escalate to the President's office if deemed appropriate by the Division Vice-president. Not every problem can be resolved to everyone's total satisfaction, but only through understanding and discussion of mutual problems can employees and management develop confidence in each other. This confidence is important to the operation of an efficient and harmonious work environment. Policy No.  718  Effective Date:  9/1/2000  Revision Date:  6/1/2002