S.C. Code Regs. § 19-718.04

Current through Register Vol. 48, No. 5, May 24, 2024

Section 19-718.04 - GRIEVANCES

A. Grievances shall include terminations, suspensions, involuntary reassignments, and demotions. Reclassifications are considered a grievance only if an agency, or an appeal if the State Human Resources Director, determines that there is a material issue of fact that the action is a punitive reclassification. However, reclassifications, reassignments, and transfers within the same salary range are not adverse employment actions which may be considered grievances or appeals. Promotions are not adverse employment actions which may be considered grievances or appeals except in instances where the agency, or in the case of appeals, the State Human Resources Director, determines that there is a material issue of fact as to whether or not an agency has considered a qualified covered employee for a position for which the employee formally applied or would have applied if the employee had known of the promotional opportunity. When an agency promotes an employee one organizational level above the promoted employee's former level, that action is not a grievance or appeal for any other qualified covered employee. Salary decreases based on performance are adverse employment actions that may be considered as grievances or appeals. A reduction in force is an adverse employment action considered as a grievance only if the agency, or as an appeal if the State Human Resources Director, determines that there is a material issue of fact that the agency inconsistently or improperly applied its reduction in force policy or plan.

B. A covered employee must initiate a grievance in writing internally with the agency within 14 calendar days of the effective date of the employment action.

C. The following examples of employment actions do not constitute a basis for a grievance or an appeal:

1. A covered employee who voluntarily resigns or voluntarily accepts a demotion, reclassification, transfer, reassignment, or salary decrease shall waive any and all rights to file a grievance or an appeal concerning such actions and the covered employee can rescind such voluntary actions only if the agency head or the agency head's designee agrees;

2. A covered employee whose position is reclassified to a class with a lower salary range shall not have the right to file a grievance or an appeal concerning the reclassification to the State Human Resources Director unless a determination is made that a material issue of fact exists concerning a punitive reclassification;

3. A covered employee who is promoted and subsequently demoted prior to serving six months of satisfactory service in the class with the higher salary range shall not have the right to file a grievance or an appeal concerning the demotion, unless such demotion is to a class with a lower salary range than the class in which the employee was serving prior to promotion;

4. A covered employee who is promoted and subsequently receives a reduction in pay prior to completing six months of satisfactory service in the class with the higher salary range shall not have the right to file a grievance or an appeal concerning the reduction in pay, unless the action results in a lower rate of pay than that which the employee was receiving prior to promotion; and

5. A covered employee who receives an additional job duties or responsibilities salary increase, and subsequently has the additional job duties or responsibilities which justified the salary increase taken away prior to completing six months of service with the additional job duties or responsibilities, shall not have the right to file a grievance or an appeal concerning a salary reduction equivalent to the amount of the additional job duties or responsibilities increase.

S.C. Code Regs. 19-718.04

Added by State Register Volume 26, Issue No. 1, eff January 25, 2002. Amended by State Register Volume 34, Issue No. 5, eff May 28, 2010.