701 Staff Grievance Policy
The purpose of Georgia State University’s (“University”) Staff Grievance Policy (“Policy”) is to allow an equitable resolution for employment disputes and provide a fair and efficient process to resolve these work-related grievances.
701.1 Availability of a Grievance Policy
701.1a Eligibility
The Staff Grievance Policy is available to any University staff employee working at least .5 full-time equivalency (“FTE”) who has completed the six-month (6) provisional employment period. The Staff Grievance Policy is not available to temporary employees, faculty, retirees, students, volunteers, or non-University employees (e.g., independent contractors, consultants, vendors, etc.).
701.1b Grievance Issues
The Staff Grievance Policy may be used by an eligible employee to bring a grievance about:
- an involuntary termination (involuntary terminations do not include resignation or retirement);
- a suspension or demotion; or
- an adverse action or decision that allegedly violates, misinterprets, or improperly applies a specific University policy, procedure, rule, or regulation.
701.1c Other Issues
This Grievance Policy may not be used to bring a grievance about:
- allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, or disability, or allegations of retaliation;
- conflicts between employees and others outside the employee’s line of authority;
- flexible work option decisions;
- furloughs;
- hiring decisions;
- letters of reprimand or other similar disciplinary actions;
- non-renewal of a limited term position;
- organization of a department or allocation of its resources;
- performance action, development, or improvement plans;
- performance evaluations;
- promotion or non-selection for promotion decisions;
- reassignment of job duties and responsibilities;
- reductions in force;
- relocation to work at another campus worksite;
- salary and grade classification determinations;
- termination of grant funding; or
- voluntary separation agreements.
Complaints regarding allegations of discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or allegations of retaliation in regards to protected activity should be filed with the Georgia State University Office of AA/EEO Investigations. In the event that an eligible employee files a grievance while he/she has an open AA/EEO investigation, the eligible employee’s grievance will be run simultaneously with the AA/EEO investigation.
If an employee wishes to file a grievance, they are to fill out a Grievance Complaint Form (GCF). They may do so by contacting Employee Relations or getting the form from the Employee Relations website. They may also complete the form through the Employee Relations case management system at: https://hr.gsu.edu/service-centers/employee-relations/consultations-and-grievances/#g
All staff of the University is encouraged to view the entire Staff Grievance Policy online at: https://hr.gsu.edu/service-centers/employee-relations/consultations-and-grievances/#g
Employees may contact Employee Relations at (404) 413-3356 or employeerelations@gsu.edu for questions or clarification concerning the filing of a grievance or the grievance process. Employees may also visit the Employee Relations website at: https://hr.gsu.edu/service-centers/employee-relations/performance-management/
702 Discrimination or Harassment Complaint Process
Georgia State University is committed to creating and maintaining a community in which students, faculty and staff can work together in an atmosphere free of discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation. The University encourages Complainants to avail themselves of counseling services prior to and during the pursuit of informal and formal procedures. On campus providers of these services include but are not limited to the Office of the Ombudsperson, FASA, Office of Disability Service, Dean of Student Services, and University Counseling Center.
The Office of AA/EEO Investigations and Hiring (a division of ODDEP) serves as a resource for potential complainants and provides an investigatory function for discrimination complaints. One of the responsibilities of the department is to uphold the federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination in education and employment. It is illegal to discriminate against a person because of that person’s national origin, race, color, sex, religion, age, veteran status or disability.
702.1 Informal Resolution Process
Employees are encouraged to participate in an informal resolution process. The informal resolution process may be utilized by consulting with Faculty and Staff Assistance, Employee Relations, or the University’s Ombudsperson as the situation dictates.
In the event that any of these processes are not successful, the employee may initiate a formal complaint through the Office of AA/EEO Investigations.
702.2 Formal Complaint Process
To begin the formal complaint process, the employee must contact the Office of AA/EEO Investigations. The initial intake interview serves the purpose of establishing that the complainant is currently affiliated with Georgia State University and that the complaint involves an illegal basis of discrimination, harassment and/or retaliation in regards to a protected activity. If the alleged facts do not constitute a basis of discrimination prohibited by law, informal resolution options or grievance procedures are still available to the employee.
Employees are encouraged to notify the Office of AA/EEO Investigations and Hiring of claims of discrimination and /or harassment as soon as possible. However, because of the statute of limitations on such claims and witness availability, a discrimination complaint must be filed within 180 days of the occurrence of the alleged violation. In cases where discrimination is continued and ongoing employee should contact AA/EEO Investigations and Hiring as soon as possible.
For detailed information on the Office of AA/EEO Investigations and Hiring formal complaint process go to: https://hr.gsu.edu/service-centers/aa-eeo-investigation-and-hiring/complaint-process/
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