8A.415 - GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE RESOLUTION.

        8A.415  GRIEVANCES AND DISCIPLINE RESOLUTION.
         1.  Grievances.
         a.  An employee, except an employee covered by a collective
      bargaining agreement which provides otherwise, who has exhausted the
      available agency steps in the uniform grievance procedure provided
      for in the department rules may, within seven calendar days following
      the date a decision was received or should have been received at the
      second step of the grievance procedure, file the grievance at the
      third step with the director.  The director shall respond within
      thirty calendar days following receipt of the third step grievance.
         b.  If not satisfied, the employee may, within thirty calendar
      days following the director's response, file an appeal with the
      public employment relations board.  The hearing shall be conducted in
      accordance with the rules of the public employment relations board
      and the Iowa administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A.  Decisions
      rendered shall be based upon a standard of substantial compliance
      with this subchapter and the rules of the department.  Decisions by
      the public employment relations board constitute final agency action.

         c.  For purposes of this subsection, "uniform grievance
      procedure" does not include procedures for discipline and
      discharge.
         2.  Discipline resolution.
         a.  A merit system employee, except an employee covered by a
      collective bargaining agreement, who is discharged, suspended,
      demoted, or otherwise receives a reduction in pay, except during the
      employee's probationary period, may bypass steps one and two of the
      grievance procedure and appeal the disciplinary action to the
      director within seven calendar days following the effective date of
      the action.  The director shall respond within thirty calendar days
      following receipt of the appeal.
         b.  If not satisfied, the employee may, within thirty calendar
      days following the director's response, file an appeal with the
      public employment relations board.  The employee has the right to a
      hearing closed to the public, unless a public hearing is requested by
      the employee.  The hearing shall otherwise be conducted in accordance
      with the rules of the public employment relations board and the Iowa
      administrative procedure Act, chapter 17A.  If the public employment
      relations board finds that the action taken by the appointing
      authority was for political, religious, racial, national origin, sex,
      age, or other reasons not constituting just cause, the employee may
      be reinstated without loss of pay or benefits for the elapsed period,
      or the public employment relations board may provide other
      appropriate remedies.  Decisions by the public employment relations
      board constitute final agency action.  
         Section History: Recent Form
         2003 Acts, ch 145, §63; 2007 Acts, ch 22, §3; 2008 Acts, ch 1032,
      §201
         Referred to in § 235A.15