Winfield City Commissioners will consider additions to the city’s employee handbook, including a new grievance policy to replace one removed last year.
The new policy states employees have the right to present a grievance concerning interpretation or application of city policies or department regulations, working conditions, relationships with co-workers or supervisors, or application of equal employment opportunity policies. The new policy states the employee will never be subject to retaliation if they present a grievance.
The policy lays out the steps for filing a grievance. Those steps include presenting the grievance first to the employee’s immediate supervisor, who will then respond. If the employee is not satisfied with the response, they can present the grievance to their department head for a response. If they are still unsatisfied, they can choose to have a hearing with either the city manager or a grievance board, including five voting members from various departments and one nonvoting city employee chosen by the person filing the grievance. Board members must be agreed upon by the aggrieved party and the city manager or human resources.
(Read more: The Arkansas City Traveler)