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A resolution requesting the Metropolitan Civil Service Commission to update rules about the filing and resolution of employee grievances.
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WHEREAS, employees of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County face major barriers when they are forced to file work-based grievances; and
WHEREAS, current Civil Service Rules require employees to file a written complaint to a departmental human resources coordinator; and
WHEREAS, employees are not given an option to file these grievances through an online platform, requiring them to directly engage with a department human resources official to raise issues or complaints; and
WHEREAS, once employee grievances are filed, employees do not receive a uniform response to their complaints, leaving it unclear whether they were received and when they may be addressed; and
WHEREAS, these practices lead to delays and further problems through longer-than-necessary investigation. A sexual harassment complaint filed by a Department of Emergency Communications employee took nearly a year to resolve, requiring the employee to continue to be antagonized by a co-worker as the department’s human resources investigation stalled; and
WHEREAS, employees of the Metropolitan Government deserve to have accessible ways to file complaints and to have their grievances resolved without delay; and
WHEREAS, the Civil Service Commission should enact these reasonable reforms, providing employees with more opportunities to file complaints and certainty that their grievances will be resolved in a timely manner.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT OF NASHVILLE AND DAVIDSON COUNTY:
Section 1. The Metropolitan Council requests that the Metropolitan Civil Service Commission require all departments, boards, and commissions established by the Metropolitan Charter or ordinance provide an online employee grievance form that can be accessed through their metropolitan government websites. Detailed, electronic records should be maintained for all employee grievances.
Section 2. The Metropolitan Council requests that the Metropolitan Civil Service Commission require that all employee grievances receive a response within two business days from a departmental human resources coordinator. These responses should include an acknowledgement of receipt, the date which a grievance was filed, and a deadline which a grievance is expected to be addressed.
Section 3. The Metropolitan Council requests that the Metropolitan Civil Service Commission require that all employee grievances be resolved within ninety days after the grievances were filed.
Section 4. This Resolution shall take effect from and after its adoption, the welfare of The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County requiring it.