Peer Resolution Process Overview

Got a problem, and you don't know where to turn? The NIH campus has a variety of resources available to assist employees. The Office of the Ombudsman/Center for Cooperative Resolution (CCR) has a page on its web site listing a number of those resources: http://www4.od.nih.gov/ccr/resource.html

New Procedures

If you are an employee in CC, NHLBI, NIA, NIAID, NINDS, or OD, you have an avenue available to you that is not available to others on campus. The CCR is piloting a Peer Resolution Panel (PRP) as part of the employee grievance procedure in those ICs. When you have a workplace disagreement or conflict, instead of filing the traditional written grievance and awaiting a written management decision, you have the opportunity to present your grievance to a panel of NIH employees to hear and decide your grievance. While this pilot has been in place for over one year, the procedures have been revised to make resolving workplace grievances even easier for employees. The PRP pilot is being extended due to this change in procedures.

How the Process Works

In a situation where a supervisor takes an official action that an employee feels is unjust (for example, a suspension, reprimand, a final performance rating of "unacceptable," leave denial), the employee can file a grievance by submitting a completed Grievance Form to the CCR or HR. A CCR representative will meet with the grievant and the appropriate management official to attempt to resolve the grievance. If there is no agreement between the parties, the employee may take his or her grievance before the Peer Resolution Panel.

The Peer Resolution Panel (consisting of two supervisors and three employees drawn randomly from a pool of 100 trained Panelists) hears the matter by interviewing the employee, the supervisor, and any relevant witnesses. In rendering a final, binding decision on the grievance, the Panel judges whether agency policy has been properly and consistently applied, and, if not, what kind of remedy is appropriate. All information communicated by and among the Panel remains strictly confidential.

Beginning the Process

Employees simply need to complete and submit a Grievance Form to the CCR or their servicing Human Resources office to begin the grievance process. You may access a full copy of the new procedures and the Grievance Form at http://www4.od.nih.gov/ccr/PRPPilot.html.

Please contact your servicing Human Resources Office or the Office of the Ombudsman for assistance in using this process.