Policy Number: 1120
Pages: 1
Approval Date: June 20, 2007
Supersedes: NOVEMBER 15, 2000
Subject: Worker Grievance Procedure
Policy: To ensure that each worker has the right to express a grievance orally or in writing, to have that grievance heard by a person who is impartial and who has the authority to act, and to have prompt remedial action taken.
Definition: A grievance is defined as any complaint arising out of the application of policy, or any other action, which the worker thinks, believes, or feels is unfair, unjust, or inequitable.
Specifications:
The following grievance procedure is also written in The Worker Handbook, which is distributed to each worker upon admission. And at any stage during this grievance process, the worker may involve a co-worker, another staff, and/or friend/advocate to help them to present their grievance to others.
Informal Complaint
In no case will a supervisor or staff member rule upon a grievance when she/he is directly involved as the cause of complaint, or when s/he is a joint complainant with a worker or group of workers.
The worker should explain their grievance as clearly and fully as possible to the director or the director’s designee. The CEO or his designee shall refer any complaint that is not resolved to the individual’s or legally authorized representative’s satisfaction within five working days, to the human rights advocate per 12 VAC 35-115-170.
OR
Formal Complaint Resolution Process
If the informal complaint process did not resolve the complaint to the individual’s satisfaction within five working days; or the individual chooses to not pursue the informal complaint process; the individual has the right under the Human Rights Policy & Procedures to report the complaint to the CEO and the human rights advocate, or either of them , for resolution.
OR
If someone believes that their rights have been violated at NWW, or anywhere else for that matter, and is not satisfied with the resolution of same, there is a Regional Human Rights Advocate which one can contact at any time, for any reason, to help. The contact telephone number is (540) 332-8802 or toll free at (877) 600-7437.