N.J.A.C. 4A:2-3.3 Grievance appeal to appointing authority: State service

In plain language

Group grievances get explicit treatment here, running in both directions. Where a grievance directly concerns and is shared by more than one grievant, they may appeal together to the first level of supervision common to all of them. And a department may consolidate two or more grievances on the same issue into a group grievance on its own initiative, provided every grievant is promptly notified. Amendment is allowed only during the initial step at which the grievance is processed, and only for clarification: the rule forbids using an amendment to change the nature of the grievance or to add items, so what goes in first fixes the boundaries of the case. The burden of proof is on the employee, the opposite of minor discipline, where 4A:2-3.2 puts it on the appointing authority. As with minor discipline, a negotiated agreement that establishes a grievance procedure is the applicable process, and these State service rules apply only where there is no agreement or the agreement is silent.

Written by the NJ Civil Service Navigator editorial team from the text of N.J.A.C. 4A:2-3.3. It is a description of the rule, not the rule itself, and not legal advice.