Page 48 - Personnel Policy and Procedures Manual

where systemic violations relating to a department are found, the Administrator, the Commission and the
EEO Office shall collaborate to bring about corrective actions; this shall not eliminate actions against
individuals within the department found to be in violation of the EEO policy. A written letter of resolution
will be issued by the EEO Office and sent to the complainant and the charged individual. In certain cases
where the EEO Office deems that the accused may have more likely than not violated the EEO policy or
which may pose specialized concerns, the EEO Office may consult with legal counsel and/or seek a detailed
legal case review in conjunction with the final internal EEO case finding.

Section 200.017 Prohibition Against Retaliation

Complainants, employees, management, participants, EEO Officials, and witnesses are protected against
any form of organizational, administrative, or management retaliation due to, or in any part based on,
participation in an EEO complaint, inquiry, mediation and/or investigation. A manager may not cause an
adverse employment action or otherwise retaliate against an individual for filing a complaint of
discrimination or participating in a discrimination proceeding.

If employees believe they are being subjected to retaliation, they should notify the EEO Office in writing
as soon as possible of the alleged retaliatory act. The written notice should outline in detail the allegations
and dates of the specific retaliatory acts that the person believes are being done. Department managers and
any other employees and officials found to have committed verifiable acts of retaliation against an
individual in connection with an EEO case will be subjected to discipline as outlined in the Employee
Handbook.

While employees are protected from retaliation for filing EEO complaints, employees who knowingly file
completely unsubstantiated or falsified EEO charges are subject to disciplinary action as outlined in the
Employee Handbook.

Section 200.018 Final Internal Case Closure and Appeal Rights

The issuance of a final written case finding from the Augusta, Georgia EEO Office shall constitute the end
of all Augusta, Georgia discrimination inquiries, investigations and appeals from or on behalf of both the
complaining party and the accused.

In the event any employee files a Charge of Discrimination with the Federal Equal Employment
Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or any other federal or state regulating agency, a copy of such charge
shall be forwarded to the Law Department as soon as practical, but in any event, no later than three business
days after receipt of such charge so that the Law Department may execute necessary legal obligations,
including distributing litigation hold letters. Within five business days of receipt of the Charge of
Discrimination, the Law Department shall determine whether it shall conduct the investigation and respond,
or the EEO Office shall investigate and respond. Any response to such charge shall be subject to Law
Department review and approval prior to being submitted to the EEOC or other federal or state regulating
agency.

All Rights Reserved – As approved by the Commission on 05-07-2019 48 | P a g e