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Virginia Department of Employment Dispute Resolution

Frequently Asked Grievance Questions

For a printable version of this manual click "Print FAQs"

Initiating the Grievance

1. What is a grievance?

2. Are there limits on what issues can be grieved?

3. How do I begin my grievance?

4. When must I file my grievance?

5. Are there exceptions to the 30-day rule?

6. Who do I initiate my grievance with?

7. What is the Expedited Grievance Process and when is it available?

8. I recently quit my job, but want to initiate grievance proceedings against my former agency. Can I do this?

9. Can I file a grievance over my termination if the agency gave me the choice of quit or be fired?

10. In a grievance, may an employee request a new supervisor as relief?

The Resolution Steps

11. Who is my first-step respondent? Second-step? Third-step?

12. There are only two possible respondents to my grievance in my agency. How will my grievance proceed since there are three steps in the grievance procedure?

13. I don’t want to have a meeting during the second-step phase of my grievance. Can I waive that meeting?

14. Who can I bring to the second-step meeting?

15. What is the role of the person I select to accompany me to the second-step meeting and will that person be allowed to participate in the second-step meeting?

16. Management told me that there would be no time for witnesses at the 2 nd step meeting. Can they do this?

17. Does EDR represent employees throughout the grievance procedure?

Qualification for Hearing

18. I was informed that my grievance was qualified for a hearing. What do I do next?

19. What if my grievance is not qualified for hearing?

20. EDR qualified one of my issues but not the other. What can I do if I still want all of my issues to proceed to hearing?

The Hearing

21. Can I ask the Hearing Officer to order a particular person to appear at hearing or require the agency to produce a particular document?

22. What if one of my witnesses can’t be present at the hearing?

23. Can an individual act as both a party to the hearing and as a witness?

Compliance

24. I submitted my “Form A” to my supervisor, but I haven’t heard back from her. The deadline for her response has passed-what should I do?

25. I presented my grievance to my immediate supervisor on Monday. She will be on annual leave on Thursday and Friday. Our office is closed on Saturday and Sunday. When must she respond to my grievance?

26. Does a half-day count as a “workday”?

Other Grievance Issues

27. I have filed a grievance and want to obtain documents to support my claim. How can I obtain such documentation?

28. Once I have begun a grievance, may I amend my “Form A” to reflect other issues that arise?

29. How does an agency close a grievance on the basis of non-compliance?

30. I filed an age discrimination grievance regarding a promotion for which I unsuccessfully competed. Can I also file a complaint with the Department of Human Resource Management’s Office of Equal Employment Services regarding this matter?

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