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Page | 24 15.0 GRIEVANCE PROCEDURES The Department enters into a written agreement with each work site in which it places individuals in work activities specifying that placements shall not displace employees or potential employees. Grievances include an opportunity for informal resolution. The informal grievance process is composed of two (2) stages. Complaints are presented to the supervisor of the DHS unit affected by the grievance. This is the unit that services the client whose placement negatively impacted another employee. The unit supervisor must resolve the grievance informally within ten (10) working days. If the complainant is not satisfied with this resolution, they may proceed to the second stage, which is presenting the complaint to the Program Administrator. The Program Administrator must also issue a decision within ten (10) working days. Persons dissatisfied with attempts at formal resolution may request a hearing with the State. Hearings are conducted by the Department’s Administrative Appeals Office. The hearing must be held within thirty (30) working days of the filing for an appeal and a decision must be issued within sixty (60) working days of the appeal being filed. Challenges of this decision must be filed with the Administrative Law Judges, U. S. Department of Labor, within twenty (20) working days of receiving an unfavorable ruling from the Department's administrative appeal decision.