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31 11. Grievance Policy

Local agencies must have an established grievance policy in their agency’s Policies and Procedures Manual and Employee Handbook. The grievance policy should address how both applicants and employees file a grievance with agency leadership. A grievance policy should include clear procedures for reporting, investigating, and resolving complaints. The policy should be fair, confidential, and impartial for all parties involved. The policy must detail the following:

• How applicants and employees are notified of the grievance policy • Who to report a grievance to and the form in which it should be submitted • The information required to be included in the grievance • The levels of review and who is responsible for determining the resolution to the grievance • If the grievance involves the individual that would ordinarily determine the resolution, explain how the grievance will be elevated • A general timeline for a resolution

ADECA will refer applicants or employees who wish to file a complaint to the local agency to ensure that the local agency’s grievance policy is followed. If an applicant or employee is dissatisfied with the grievance resolution and files a complaint with ADECA, the complaint will be sent to the local agency’s Board of Directors for review. Any complaints involving fraud, waste, or abuse will be investigated by ADECA staff.