Employee Grievances

Revised University System Grievance Policy: Effective April 1, 2023

• Revised University System SHRA Employee Grievance Policy (pdf)

The following actions and events are considered grievable under the University System SHRA Employee Grievance Policy:

• Disciplinary action without just cause including:
• Dismissal
• Demotion
• Suspension without pay
• Involuntary non-disciplinary separation due to unavailability
• Unlawful discrimination and/or harassment including:
• Age
• Disability
• Color
• Genetic information
• National origin
• Political affiliation
• Race
• Religion
• Sex (including sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, and pregnancy)
• Retaliation based on:
• Protesting (objecting to or supporting another person’s objection to) unlawful discrimination or harassment
• Reporting unlawful government activity (“whistle blowing”)
• Denial of reemployment of hiring due to denial of reduction-in-force priority
• Denial of promotional opportunity due to failure to give priority consideration for promotion to a Career State employee
• Denial of hiring or promotional opportunity due to failure to post position (unless hiring opportunity is not required to be posted by law)
• Denial of veteran’s preference as provided by law
• Overall performance rating of less than Meets expectations
• Denial of request to remove inaccurate and misleading information from personnel or applicant file
• Items covered in the University’s Policy Statement on Non-Discrimination that promote inclusion and diversity, but not within the definition of unlawful discrimination, harassment, and retaliation
• Denial of National Guard Preference

To file a grievance

You have two ways to file grievance:

• Submit the Online Grievance Form. You are able to save changes to the online form for up to seven days; after that time, the form will expire, and you will need to use this same form link to begin a new form. Once you submit the online form, you will receive a confirmation email to the email address/es you entered on the form.

OR

• Fill out and return the SHRA Grievance PDF Form to the Grievance Coordinator using the contact information given below.

You do NOT need to submit both the online and pdf versions of the SHRA Grievance Form.

 

To accept or proceed a grievance outcome OR to withdraw a grievance

Fill out and return the completed form to the Grievance Coordinator using the contact information given below.

• SHRA Grievance Declaration Form (pdf)

 

Grievance Coordinator Contact Information

Send completed pdf forms to the Grievance Coordinator by one of the following methods:

Grievants may consult with an attorney at their own expense, but grievants may not be represented by an attorney in any part of the SHRA grievance process.

For additional questions about the process, please refer to the SHRA Grievance Policy.

If you are a supervisor who has been informed by an employee that they would like to engage in an Informal Discussion with you, and you have NOT been in contact with the Grievance Coordinator, contact the Grievance Coordinator immediately at grievance@unc.edu.

• EHRA Non-Faculty Grievance Policy
• EHRA Non-Faculty Grievance Procedures

The following actions and events are considered grievable under the EHRA Non-Faculty Grievance Policy:

• Contested discharge for cause.
• Alleged violations of the employee’s rights guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution or Article I of the North Carolina Constitution (subject to any limitations on political activity as established under North Carolina law and relevant UNC Board of Governors and University Board of Trustees policies).
• Harassment or discrimination as set forth in the University’s Policy on Prohibited Harassment, Discrimination and Related Misconduct.
• Discontinuation without appropriate notice or without temporary extension of appointment in the absence of such notice as provided for in the EPA non-faculty Employment Policies.
• Any other decision or action by a University official that adversely and materially affected the Covered Employee’s terms and conditions of employment and that is alleged to have violated a specific university rule, regulation, or policy or violated a state or federal law pertaining to the employment relationship between the Complainant and the University.
• Retaliation as defined in section 3 of the EHRA-NF Grievance Policy.

To file a grievance

You have two ways to file grievance:

• Submit the Online Grievance Form. You are able to save changes to the online form for up to seven days; after that time, the form will expire, and you will need to use this same form link to begin a new form. Once you submit the online form, you will receive a confirmation email to the email address/es you entered on the form.

OR

• Fill out and return the EHRA-NF Grievance PDF Form to the Grievance Coordinator using the contact information given below.

You do NOT need to submit both the online and pdf versions of the EHRA-NF Grievance Form.

 

For complainants

To accept or appeal a grievance outcome OR to withdraw a grievance: Fill out and return the completed form to the Grievance Coordinator using the contact information given below.

• EHRA Non-Faculty Grievance Complainant Reply Form (pdf)

 

For respondents

To respond to an initial grievance (Step 1) or a Panel Recommendation (Step 2): Fill out and return the completed form to the Grievance Coordinator using the contact information given below.

• EHRA Non-Faculty Grievance Respondent Reply Form (pdf)

 

Grievance Coordinator Contact Information

Send completed pdf forms to the Grievance Coordinator by one of the following methods:

Complainants are allowed to have a support person (a fellow University employee) to assist them. The complainant cannot be represented by an attorney except in cases of discharge for cause, in which the complainant can retain and be represented by an attorney at their own expense. In such cases, University Counsel will represent management.

For additional questions about the process, please refer to the EHRA-NF Grievance Policy.