Page 45 - Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual

The EEO Office provides consultation to both employees and managers seeking approaches to resolve
issues in an informal manner. Collaborative EEO resolutions at the lowest possible levels and the earliest
time periods are strongly encouraged. The EEO Office promotes respectful communication as a viable
option for settling disputes. Informal complainants may seek an informal resolution as follows:

1. When no formal written complaint has been filed with the EEO Office, employees may first
discuss the concerns directly with the individual or colleague involved in an attempt to clear
up any possible misunderstandings;

2. If the matter is not resolved or the employee would prefer not to discuss the situation with
the individual involved, then the employee should take the next step and discuss their
concerns with their immediate supervisor; and

3. If the concern remains unresolved or at anytime the employee desires, the next step is to
schedule an appointment to discuss the matter with the Department Head.

Stage Two (Informal Mediation)

If efforts toward an informal resolution are unsuccessful at Stage One (Informal Resolution) or an employee
seeks to skip informal resolution, then a complainant is encouraged to contact the EEO Office to request
assistance with negotiating or mediating the dispute prior to filing a formal EEO complaint. Employees
may seek assistance from management and/or the EEO Office in order to schedule a mediation meeting to
discuss issues which relate to an informal EEO case. The EEO Office will assist in working to bring about
an equitable resolution for both parties through the process of informal mediation.

Stage Three (Formal Written Complaints)

If the informal resolution or mediation attempts between the parties do not result in a resolution of the
matter within twenty working days or the employee seeks to skip informal resolution, the complaining party
then has the option to request that the EEO Office conduct a formal investigation. The request for a formal
internal EEO investigation should be dated and issued in writing as soon as the employee is aware of the
conduct or knows that informal resolution is unsuccessful. The complainant is required to provide sufficient
facts and data to substantiate discriminatory allegations. According to Augusta, Georgia Policy, the EEO
Office will investigate complaint and attempt to conciliate the claim.

The charged party (one who is accused of a discriminatory act) will be allowed to review the written
allegations and to provide a written response to the charges within seven days after the review. After
reviewing the allegations, responses, and evidence from both parties, the internal EEO Office will make a
determination as to whether or not to proceed with further internal investigations.

Once a formal written complaint has been filed the matter has gone past the level of informal resolution. At
this stage, employees should not attempt to resolve a formal EEO complaint on a one-on-one basis or
confront an employee
(either the complaining employee or the accused) in relation to an EEO case that is either open or closed.

In cases where the EEO Office moves forward with an internal EEO investigation, witnesses, co-workers,
and management may be questioned. Both the accused and the complainant will have an opportunity to
present their responses.

All Rights Reserved – As approved by the Commission on 05-07-2019 45 | P a g e