Redress of Grievance – Mega thread [MERGED]

[GR66]

A 728 is always a good place to start if there are concerns over the fate of a document you're sending out.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

It is DAOD vice DOAD.

I'm not sure what you are saying by "misplaced".  IAW CF policy, a formal written grievance is to be submitted in writing to the mbrs Commanding Officer.  From there, the CO has specific actions items and timelines to follow to get the grievance to the DGCFGA where the file will be reviewed and assigned to the proper IA.

*Where* was it headed?  Has the grievor been assigned an Assisting Member, and if so has that pers been made aware the 'file has gone AWOL'?

http://www.cfga-agfc.forces.gc.ca/index-eng.asp

 

[TwoTonShackle]

Once a grievance is submitted to a CO, the CO is supposed to call the Canadian Forces Grievance Board and be issued a tracking number for that grievance.  If all the paperwork is "lost", (hopefully you have retained a copy of your original submission), ask for the tracking number or resubmit it and then ask for the tracking number.  Once you have the tracking number and date of issue then there are guidelines for the timeframe each level of review has until they contact you.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Sorry but that is not entirely accurate. 

All the steps, timelines, etc are on the DGCFGA site.

 

[PMedMoe]

Always keep copies of everything.  I grieved a PER once.  It was rewritten.  I got it, signed it, copied it and sent it back.  When it "mysteriously" went missing, my CSM called the person in question and said, since I had a copy, we could just do it up again and send it out.  It was "found" the next day.

 

[TwoTonShackle]

DAOD 2017-1 Military Grievance Process

The CO must:

determine, upon receipt of an NOI, the best complaint mechanism to resolve the complaint, including IR (Informal Resolution);
- acknowledge receipt of the grievance in writing;
- assign an assisting CF member if requested;
- register the grievance in the NGR (National Grievance Registry) with the DGCFGA;
- provide the NGR number to the grievor; and
- determine if able to act as the IA.

The NGR number is a way for the member to track the process should the CO not be the IA or it go beyond the CO,and an attempt at transparency.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

So as you can see with your own post, the CFGB has fuck-all to do with it at this point. 

The IA has 60 days from receipt for decision; the FA has no timeline, etc.

Like I said; your post wasn't entirely accurate.  :

 

[TwoTonShackle]

The OP is worried that their paperwork is disappearing into a "blackhole".  My advice to ask for the registry number was to ensure it would not disappear again.  Feel free to keep rolling your eyes though.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

This is simple; your post wasn't accurate.  If you're going to post 'advice', ATLEAST try to make it correct so as not to mislead someone where they might go back to their CofC jawing-off about "this is what is supposed to happen!  :blah:" and make a 'tard of themselves.

*Attention to detail* and all that stuff.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

How about you guys put the ruler away. I'm sure the OP has enough info to go on now.

---Staff---

 

[Sunnyns]

I was afraid this happening to mine as well.  I did not know how a 728 would be received so I had a PDF copy done of it.  I sent to my boss and worded it so I was helping them by sending an electronic copy.

I did it as a PDF so that they could not make changes to it.  It's a look out for yourself world.

 

[Sunnyns]

After a lot of research I don't seem to see anything about a timeline getting the ROG to the CO. 

Trust me I have searched, unless I am mistaken there does not seem to be a timeline for this.  Unless there is something I am missing.  I had thought that sending the PDF via email would suffice as a receipt but honestly it does not seem to mean anything to some people since mine is out there in space.  (a paper copy was sent as well) As of right now it is still sitting on the desk of the people I am having issues with months later.  My next course of action is to request a meeting with the OC, I do know it has not reached him yet.

 

[JMesh]

After a lot of research I don't seem to see anything about a timeline getting the ROG to the CO.

From the applicable QR&O:

7.02 - TIME LIMIT

(1) A grievance must be submitted within six months after the day that the member knew or ought reasonably to have known of the decision, act or omission in respect of which the grievance is submitted.

(2) A member who submits a grievance after the expiration of the period referred to in paragraph (1) must submit reasons for the delay.

(3) An initial authority may consider a grievance that is submitted after the expiration of the period if the initial authority is satisfied that to do so would be in the interests of justice. An initial authority who is not satisfied shall provide reasons in writing to the member.

(G) (P.C. 2000-863 of 8 June 2000 effective 15 June 2000)

http://www.admfincs-smafinsm.forces.gc.ca/qro-orf/vol-01/chapter-chapitre-007-eng.asp

 

[Eye In The Sky]

I'm assuming you have either (1) no Assisting Member at all or (2) a Fig 11 target for one?


For anyone interested, there was a CANFORGEN released about the AM trg/qual AKUY.  Course is avail on DLN/AFIILE.  Fairly decent intro to the CFGS and all its 'moving parts'.

 

[Sunnyns]

JMesh,  I know that regulation. 

What I am interested in is once a grievance is done and handed in, where is the timeline getting from the Sgt to the CO.

I see the CO's timeline and checklist as well.  The 6 month deadline is next month which I have more then met.

There is no delay on my part.

DGCFGA

It clearly states that the assisting member is not there to represent you, only make sure you are informed of the regulations and assist with the writing of your grievance. 
Not give your CoC a poke to get it off the guys desk.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

What I am interested in is once a grievance is done and handed in, where is the timeline getting from the Sgt to the CO

First, your grievance should be addressed to the CO.  Seond you have the right to ask to speak to your CO at any time.  If you have handed in a grievance, and if you have been appointed an AM by your CO, and if your intermediate CofC hasn't fwd that to the CO, I'm suggesting that your AM may be able to assist in this.  He may be able to approach the Adjt, etc to query if the CO has seen and actioned the grievance. 

It clearly states that the assisting member is not there to represent you, only make sure you are informed of the regulations and assist with the writing of your grievance. 
Not give your CoC a poke to get it off the guys desk.

Great, if you know so much about how to make the CFGS work for you, why are you on here asking questions??

Your AM asking the CofC the status is not representing you and yes, they can and do liase with the local CofC. 

I'm curious, if you wrote a grievance and it is 'sitting on your Sgt's desk', and X amount of time has passed, if it were me I'd be asking to see my CO, or going to my AM and asking their advice or asking to see the unit Adjt or something.  *IF* someone is sitting on a grievance you've written addressed to your CO and they did not make any/all efforts to get that up the CofC and are intentionally delaying it....the CO should have an issue with that.  It was a Sgt doing it and I was his CWO/CPO, they'd think twice about doing it again.

 

[Sunnyns]

I'm here asking questions because I was wondering if I did miss something. I had heard that there was a timeline for memo's going through the CoC but couldn't find anything.

I did address it to the CO.

 

[Occam]

where is the timeline getting from the Sgt to the CO.

There isn't a deadline for that. 

Prior to my release, I made a formal written request (through my CoC) to speak to the CO IAW the QR&O on grievances.  It went ignored - I couldn't even tell you if the CO ever saw it.  It took a month before it was returned to me by the unit OR because it hadn't been minuted by anyone between me and the CO.  I resubmitted it, but never again heard of it.

I submitted a written grievance prior to my release, which was directly handed to the BSM who gave it to the OC - who let it sit on his desk for a month and a half, and it was finally registered with DGCFGA four months after initial submission.  Despite getting DGCFGA and the CF Ombudsman's office involved, the CO still hasn't rendered a decision almost two years later - mine was submitted before the regs were changed to include specific timelines for the IA to respond to the grievance.  In the lacklustre attempts at moving the file, my CoC botched every step of the procedure along the way - acknowledgement, disclosure, representations to disclosure, decision.

If your CoC wants to stonewall it, there's not a lot you can do, except let DGCFGA know that you've submitted a written grievance and your CoC doesn't appear to be in a rush to register it.  I went to the Ombudsman's office only after seeing that DGCFGA was getting nowhere, despite repeated attempts.  Once e-mails and phone calls start going directly to the CO, instead of to the officer who's staffed to respond to the grievance (in my case, the DCO), there is normally movement on the file (unless your CoC is a bunch of slugs like my former CoC seem to be).

 

[Sunnyns]

Thank you Occam, I am so sorry that your grievance is going like that.  I honestly think this is where mine is heading with the history in my CoC.

 

[Occam]

Thank you Occam, I am so sorry that your grievance is going like that.  I honestly think this is where mine is heading with the history in my CoC.

Document every attempt to find out if the grievance is on its way to the CO.  Try to use the CoC as much as possible, but in my own personal opinion, if two months goes by without having it registered by DGCFGA (which I would say is a reasonable time given the possibility of leave periods, days off, courses, etc.), I'd put that phone call in to DGCFGA and ask them if the delay has reached the "unreasonable" stage, and they may make some inquiries on your behalf.

I had both DGCFGA and the Ombudsman's office telling me that every single thing I did, I did by the book, and they emphasized to my CoC that I wanted the grievance handled by the book.  Despite that, they did stuff that's not supposed to happen like floating phone calls to me asking "well, if we give you this as an informal resolution, would it be acceptable?", even after I told them the time for ADR was long gone and I wanted the grievance responded to formally.  Then they sent a "grievance summary" (whatever that is, you won't find it on the DGCFGA website or in any regs) to me via internal mail to my new work address, where it was only the keen eye of our section head's AA (a former CPO1 Admin Clerk) that prevented it from being opened and sent through the central registry.  (If you're wondering about the significance of that, my current employer has no business knowing that I have a grievance going on with the CF).  I guess my former CoC missed the last para of my grievance, which explicitly stated that all written communications were to be sent to my home address by Canada Post.