[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 22, Volume 1]
[Revised as of April 1, 2004]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 22CFR16.2]

[Page 87]
 
                       TITLE 22--FOREIGN RELATIONS
 
                     CHAPTER I--DEPARTMENT OF STATE
 
PART 16_FOREIGN SERVICE GRIEVANCE SYSTEM--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 16.2  General provisions.

    (a) Statement of purpose. These regulations establish procedures as 
required by law to provide Foreign Service officers and employees (and 
their survivors) of the Foreign Affairs agencies, a grievance procedure 
to insure a full measure of due process, and to provide for the just 
consideration and resolution of grievances of such officers, employees, 
and survivors. No regulation promulgated in this part shall be 
interpreted or applied in any manner which would alter or abridge the 
provisions of the due process established by the Congress in Pub. L. 94-
141, 22 U.S.C. 1037, section 691.
    (b) Discussion of complaints. (1) Every effort should be made to 
settle any employee complaint informally, promptly, and satisfactorily.
    (2) Supervisors and other responsible officers should encourage 
employees to discuss complaints with them and should respond in a timely 
manner to resolve the complaints.
    (3) An employee initially should discuss a complaint with the 
employee's current supervisor or with the responsible officer who has 
immediate jurisdiction over the complaint to give that person an 
opportunity to resolve the matter, before further steps are taken under 
these procedures.
    (c) Guidance. Nothing in these procedures prevents a grievant from 
seeking guidance from any official who might be helpful respecting the 
submission of a grievance or its resolution.
    (d) Freedom of action. (1) Any grievant, witness, representative or 
other person involved in a proceeding hereunder shall be free from any 
restraint, interference, coercion, harassment, discrimination, or 
reprisal in those proceedings or by virtue of them. The Foreign Affairs 
agencies recognize their obligation to insure compliance with this 
section. Any person involved or having immediate knowledge of any 
alleged breach of this section should call it to the attention of the 
pertinent foreign affairs agency through appropriate channels for 
corrective action as necessary. Normally such allegations should be 
brought to the attention of the senior agency official at the post; and 
at Washington, DC, to the Director, Grievance Staff for State; Chief, 
Employee Relations Branch for AID and Chief, Employee-Management 
Relations Division for USIA.
    (2) The grievant has the right to a representative of the grievant's 
own choosing at every stage of the proceedings. The grievant and repre- 
sentative(s) who are under the control, supervision, or responsibility 
of the Foreign Affairs agencies shall be granted reasonable periods of 
administrative leave to prepare, to be present, and to present the 
grievance.
    (3) Any witness under the control, supervision, or responsibility of 
a Foreign Affairs agency shall be granted reasonable periods of 
administrative leave to appear and testify at any such proceeding.
    (4) The Foreign Service Grievance Board established hereunder shall 
have authority to ensure that no copy of the determination of the agency 
head or designee to reject a Grievance Board recommendation, no notation 
of the failure of the Grievance Board to find for the grievant, and no 
notation that a proceeding is pending or has been held, shall be entered 
in the personnel records of the grievant (unless by order of the 
Grievance Board as a remedy for the grievance) or those of any other 
officer or employee connected the the grievance. The Foreign Affairs 
agencies shall maintain grievance records under appropriate safeguards 
to preserve confidentiality (Sec. 16.9).