Page | 40 The City will impose appropriate corrective action up to and including termination of one or both parties if any of the above conditions are found to exist. OPEN DOOR POLICY AND PROBLEM-SOLVING PROCEDURE 404 The City believes that open communication within an atmosphere of trust is mutually beneficial to the City and encourages employees to discuss suggestions, problems or concerns with management. Most work-related problems can and should be resolved informally within the department. An employee with a workrelated problem is strongly encouraged to schedule a meeting with their immediate supervisor and make a good-faith effort toward resolution. The employee also has the option of contacting the next higher level of management in the department or a representative in the Human Resources department should he/she believe that it would be inappropriate to initially discuss the problem with his/her immediate supervisor. The following problem-solving procedure is to be followed when a non-union covered employee is not satisfied with the outcome of the informal discussion. Union-covered employees should follow the grievance procedure outlined in the applicable MOU. This problem-solving procedure is not a substitute for the City’s Anti-Harassment policy. Step 1: The employee should notify his/her immediate supervisor in writing of the decision to pursue the formal problem-solving procedure. Additionally, the notice should include: 1. The problem and the date when the incident occurred; 2. Suggestion(s) on ways to resolve the issue/concern; and 3. A copy of the immediate supervisor’s written response or a summary of his/her verbal response and the date when the employee met with the immediate supervisor. If the supervisor provided no response, the complaint should state this. Unless circumstances warrant additional investigation, the supervisor will consider the problem and provide a written response within 10 business days. Step 2: The employee may refer the problem in writing within 5 business days to the next appropriate level of management if he/she does not feel that the problem has satisfactorily resolved. The supervisor will review the complaint and will gather additional information as needed. Typically, the department head will provide a written reply to the staff member within 10 business days of the meeting. Step 3: After considering the department heads response, the employee may refer the problem in writing to the City Manager within 5 business days. At his/her sole discretion, the City Manager may choose to delegate the investigation to either Human Resources and/or a Problem Review Committee (members appointed by the City Manager). The City Manager will attempt to render a final decision within 15 business days. All members of management have a basic responsibility to see that issues/concerns raised through the problem-solving procedure are carefully considered and that an answer is promptly given. It is the City’s policy that no employee may be discriminated against or adversely treated for initiating or participating in a problem-solving proceeding. CORRECTIVE ACTION & DISCIPLINE 405 The City reserves the right to determine the seriousness of an offense and to impose the appropriate level of discipline. In determining corrective action and discipline, the seriousness of the infraction, the past performance record of the employee and the circumstances surrounding the matter will be taken into consideration. The Human Resources
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