SECTION D | PERSONNEL

 

SECTION DFB.1

PERSONNEL
EMPLOYEE RIGHTS AND PRIVILEGES
EMPLOYEE GRIEVANCES

Procedure

INFORMAL PROCESS

The Navarro College Board of Trustees requires employees to discuss their concerns and complaints through informal conferences with their supervisor, another appropriate administrator, or the Vice President of Human Resources.

Concerns should be expressed as soon as possible to allow early resolution at the lowest possible administrative level.

 

FORMAL PROCESS

If an informal conference regarding a complaint fails to reach the outcome requested by the employee, he or she may initiate the formal process described below by timely filing a written complaint including all pertinent information.

Even after initiating the formal complaint process, employees are encouraged to seek informal resolution of their concerns. An employee whose concerns are resolved may withdraw a formal complaint at any time.

This procedure shall not be construed to create new or additional rights beyond those granted by law or Board policy, nor to require a full evidentiary hearing or “mini-trial” at any level. In this regard, the formal rules of evidence and procedure shall not apply to this process.

 

FREEDOM FROM RETALIATION

Neither the Board nor any College District employee shall unlawfully retaliate against an employee for bringing a concern or complaint.

 

WHISTLEBLOWER COMPLAINTS

Whistleblower complaints shall be filed within the time specified by law. Such complaints shall first be filed in accordance with LEVEL THREE, below. Time lines for the employee and the College District set out in this procedure may be shortened to allow the Board to make a final decision within the timelines set by law.

 

COMPLAINTS

In this procedure, the terms “complaint” and “grievance” shall have the same meaning. This procedure shall apply to all employee complaints made according to this procedure by current benefited employees of the College, except as provided below.

 

EXCEPTIONS

This procedure shall not apply to:

  1. Complaints alleging discrimination, including violations of Title IX (gender), Title VII (sex, race, color, religion, national origin), ADEA (age), or Section 504 (disability). [See DFC]

  2. Complaints alleging certain forms of harassment, including harassment by a supervisor and violations of Title VII. [See DFC]

  3. Complaints concerning retaliation relating to discrimination and harassment. [See DFC]

  4. Complaints concerning a commissioned peace officer who is an employee of the College District. These shall be reported directly to the Chief of Police in accordance with the Government Code.

 

FILING

Complaints and appeals may be filed by hand-delivery, fax, or U.S. Mail. Hand-delivered filings shall be timely filed if received by the appropriate administrator or designee by the close of business on the deadline. Fax filings shall be timely filed if they are received on or before the deadline, as indicated by the date/time shown on the fax copy. Mail filings shall be timely filed if they are postmarked by U.S. Mail on or before the deadline and received by the appropriate administrator or designated representative no more than three days after the deadline.

 

RESPONSE

At Levels One, Two, and Three “response” shall mean a written communication to the employee from the appropriate administrator. Responses may be hand-delivered or sent by U.S. Mail to the employee’s mailing address of record. Mailed responses shall be timely if they are postmarked by U.S. Mail on or before the deadline.

 

DAYS

“Days” shall mean College District business days, unless otherwise noted. In calculating time lines under this procedure, the day a document is filed is “day zero.” The following business day is “day one.”

 

REPRESENTATIVE

“Representative” means any person who or an organization that does not claim the right to strike and is designated by the employee to represent him or her in the complaint process.

The employee may designate a representative through written notice to the College District at any level of this process. If the employee designates a representative with fewer than three days’ notice to the College District before a scheduled conference or hearing, the College District may reschedule the conference or hearing to a later date, if desired, in order to include the College District’s counsel. The College District may be represented by counsel at any level of the process.

 

CONSOLIDATING COMPLAINTS

Complaints arising out of an event or a series of related events shall be addressed in one complaint. Employees shall not bring separate or serial complaints arising from any event or series of events that have been or could have been addressed in a previous complaint.

When two or more complaints are sufficiently similar in nature and remedy sought to permit their resolution through one proceeding, the College District may consolidate the complaints.

 

UNTIMELY FILINGS

All time limits shall be strictly followed unless modified by mutual written consent.

If a complaint or appeal is not timely filed, the complaint may be dismissed, on written notice to the employee, at any point during the complaint process. The employee may appeal the dismissal by seeking review in writing within ten days from the date of the written dismissal notice, starting at the level at which the complaint was dismissed. Such appeal shall be limited to the issue of timeliness.

 

COSTS INCURRED

Each party shall pay its own costs incurred in the course of the complaint.

 

SUBMITTING COMPLAINT

Complaints under this procedure shall be submitted in writing and shall contain all necessary information.

Copies of any documents that support the complaint should be attached to the complaint form. If the employee does not have copies of these documents, they may be presented at the Level One conference. After the Level One conference, no new documents may be submitted by the employee unless the employee did not know the documents existed before the Level One conference.

 

LEVEL ONE

Complaint forms must be filed:

  1. Within 15 days of the date the employee first knew, or with reasonable diligence should have known, of the decision or action giving rise to the complaint or grievance; and

  2. With the lowest level administrator who has the authority to remedy the alleged problem.

 

In most circumstances, employees shall file Level One complaints with their immediate supervisor. The complaint, however, may begin at the first level at which the administrator has the authority to remedy the complaint.

If the complaint is not filed with the appropriate administrator, the receiving administrator must note the date and time the complaint form was received and immediately forward the complaint form to the appropriate administrator.

The appropriate administrator shall investigate as necessary and hold a conference with the employee within ten days after receipt of the written complaint. The administrator may set reasonable time limits for the conference. If the grievance is not timely, the administrator may issue a dismissal on the basis of timeliness without holding a conference with the employee.

The administrator shall provide the employee a written response within ten days following the conference. The written response shall set forth the basis of the decision. In reaching a decision, the administrator may consider information provided at the Level One conference and any other relevant documents or information the administrator believes will help resolve the complaint.

 

LEVEL TWO

If the employee did not receive the relief requested at Level One or if the time for a response has expired, the employee may request a conference with the Associate Vice President of Human Resources or designee to appeal the Level One decision.
The appeal must be filed in writing, within ten days of the date of the written Level One response or, if no response was received, within ten days of the Level One response deadline.

After receiving the appeal, the Level One administrator shall prepare and forward a record of the Level One complaint to the Level Two administrator. The employee may request a copy of the Level One record.

The Level One record shall include:

  1. The original complaint form and any attachments.

  2. All other documents submitted by the employee at Level One.

  3. The written response issued at Level One and any attachments.

  4. All other documents relied upon by the Level One administrator in reaching the Level One decision.

 

The Vice President of Human Resources, or designee, shall hold a conference within ten days after the appeal is filed. The conference shall be limited to the issues presented by the employee at Level One and identified in the Level Two appeal. At the conference, the employee may provide information concerning any documents or information relied upon by the administration for the Level One decision. The Level Two administrator may set reasonable time limits for the conference. If the grievance is not timely, the administrator may issue a dismissal on the basis of timeliness without holding a conference with the employee.

The Level Two administrator shall provide the employee a written response within ten days following the conference. The written response shall set forth the basis of the decision. In reaching a decision, the Level Two administrator may consider the Level One record, information provided at the Level Two conference, and any other relevant documents or information the Level Two administrator believes will help resolve the complaint.

Recordings of the Level One and Level Two conferences, if any, shall be maintained with the Level One and Level Two records.

 

LEVEL THREE

If the employee did not receive the relief requested at Level Two or if the time for a response has expired, the employee may request a conference with the District President or designee to appeal the Level Two decision.

The appeal must be filed in writing within ten days after receipt of a response or, if no response was received, within ten days of the response deadline at Level Two.

After receiving the appeal, the Level Two administrator shall prepare and forward a record of the Level Two complaint to the Level Three administrator. The employee may request a copy of the Level Two record.

The Level Two record shall include:

  1. The Level One record.

  2. The written response issued at Level Two and any attachments.

  3. All other documents relied upon by the Level Two administrator in reaching the Level Two decision.

 

The Vice President for Human Resources or designee shall hold a conference within ten days after the appeal is filed. The conference shall be limited to the issues presented by the employee at Level One and identified in the Level Three appeal. At the conference, the employee may provide information concerning any documents or information relied upon by the administration for the Level Two decision. The Level Three administrator or designee may set reasonable time limits for the conference. If the grievance is not timely, the administrator may issue a dismissal on the basis of timeliness without holding a conference with the employee.

The Level Three administrator shall provide the employee a written response within ten days following the conference. The written response shall set forth the basis of the decision. In reaching a decision, the Level Three administrator may consider the Level One and Level Two records, information provided at the Level Three conference, and any other relevant documents or information the Level Three administrator believes will help resolve the complaint.

Recordings of the Level One, Level Two, and Level Three conferences, if any, shall be maintained with the Level One, Level Two, and Level Three records.

 

LEVEL FOUR

If the employee did not receive the relief requested at Level Three or if the time for a response has expired, the employee may appeal the decision to the Board.
The appeal must be filed in writing within ten days after receipt of a response or, if no response was received, within ten days of the Level Three response deadline.

The District President or designee shall inform the employee of the date, time, and place of the Board meeting at which the complaint will be on the agenda for presentation to the Board.

The District President or designee shall provide the Board with a record of the Level Three complaint. The employee may request a copy of the Level Three record.

The Level Three record shall include:

  1. The Level One record.

  2. The Level Two record.

  3. The written response issued at Level Three and any attachments.

  4. All other documents relied upon by the administration in reaching the Level Three decision.

 

If at the Level Four hearing the administration intends to rely on evidence not included in the Level Three record, the administration shall provide the employee notice of the nature of the evidence at least three days before the hearing.

The College District shall determine whether the complaint will be presented in open or closed meeting in accordance with the Texas Open Meetings Act and other applicable law.

The presiding officer may set reasonable time limits and guidelines for the presentation including an opportunity for the employee and administration to each make a presentation and provide rebuttal and an opportunity for questioning by the Board. The Board shall hear the complaint and may request that the administration provide an explanation for the decisions at the preceding levels.

In addition to any other record of the Board meeting required by law, the Board shall prepare a separate record of the Level Four presentation. The Level Four presentation, including the presentation by the employee or the employee’s representative, any presentation from the administration, and questions from the Board with responses, shall be recorded by audio recording, video/audio recording, or court reporter.

The Board shall then consider the complaint. It may give notice of its decision orally or in writing at any time up to and including the next regularly scheduled Board meeting. If the Board does not make a decision regarding the complaint by the end of the next regularly scheduled meeting, the lack of a response by the Board upholds the administrative decision at Level Three.

 

Approved: 2015
Updated: 2017
Reviewed: 2020, 2022, 2024