Sec. 16-200. Procedures for resolving a grievance
Codified through Bill No. CB-018-2026, adopted May 12, 2026, effective July 24, 2026. Source: Municode, Supplement 2026 Update 2. Editorial notes and legislative history omitted.
Prince George's County, Md., Code § 16-200 (2026)
Sec. 16-200. Procedures for resolving a grievanceLinkCopy Citation
(a)
An employee shall be entitled to initiate a grievance in accordance with the following procedures:
(1)
To Responsible Official.
(A)
Where an employee has reason to believe that an act or acts by the employee's supervisor, appointing authority, or the Director of Human Resources Management, as the case may be, constitutes a grievance and where reasonable efforts on the part of the employee to informally resolve the grievance have been unsatisfactory, the employee shall file a written complaint with whichever of the foregoing officials was responsible for the act or acts giving rise to the grievance, setting forth in such written complaint the nature of the grievance and the relief sought by the employee; provided, however:
(i)
That where the act or acts of the official giving rise to the grievance are effectuated by a written human resources action which is authorized under the provisions of this Subtitle, and where the employee receives a final copy of such written human resources action, the employee shall file the written complaint required above with the responsible official no later than five (5) working days after the employee receives the final copy of the written human resources action; and
(ii)
With respect to any other act or acts of the official giving rise to the grievance, the employee shall file the written complaint required above with the responsible official within a reasonable period of time after the act or acts of the responsible official constituting the grievance becomes known to the employee; provided, however, that the failure of the employee to file the written complaint within such reasonable period of time shall constitute grounds for the denial of the relief sought by the aggrieved employee.
(B)
Upon the receipt of any written complaint filed by an employee pursuant to subparagraph (a)(1)(A), above, the responsible official shall investigate or cause to be investigated the allegations set forth in said complaint and shall respond, in writing, to the employee with respect to said complaint no later than fourteen (14) calendar days after the date of receipt thereof. The written response of the responsible official shall state whether or not any remedial action will be taken with respect to the complaint and, in either event, the reasons therefor. Where the written response of the responsible official indicates that remedial action will be taken, said written response shall also state when, in terms of an approximate date, event, or circumstance, the remedy or remedies will be forthcoming.
(C)
Any employee who has filed a written complaint, as required under subparagraph (a)(1)(A), above, shall be entitled to pursue the alleged grievance further, based on the circumstances set forth below, by filing a written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management if the Director of Human Resources Management was not the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint in the first instance; or, in the event that the Director of Human Resources Management was the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint in the first instance, by filing a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board. The entitlement of an employee to file a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management, or to file a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board, as provided in the preceding sentence of this subparagraph, shall be conditioned upon:
(i)
The fact that the responsible official with whom the employee filed the signed written complaint required under subparagraph (a)(1)(A), above, did not respond, in writing, to the employee's complaint within fourteen (14) calendar days after the date of receipt thereof, as required under subparagraph (a)(2), above;
(ii)
The fact that the employee is not satisfied with the written response of the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint; or
(iii)
The fact that the remedy or remedies set forth in the written response of the responsible official were not effectuated under the conditions set forth in the official's written response.
(D)
The following procedures shall apply to the filing of a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management, or the filing of a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board, as provided under subparagraph (a)(1)(C), above:
(i)
Any employee who intends to file a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management, or a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board, under the circumstances described in subparagraph (a)(1)(C)(i), above, shall do so no later than five (5) working days after the date the responsible official was required to have responded to the employee;
(ii)
Any employee who intends to file a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management, or a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board, under the circumstances described in subparagraph (a)(1)(C)(ii), above, shall do so no later than five (5) working days after the date of receipt of the written response from the responsible official; and
(iii)
Any employee who intends to file a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management, or a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board, under the circumstances described in subparagraph (a)(1)(C)(iii), above, shall do so within a reasonable period of time after the employee becomes aware of the fact that the remedy or remedies set forth in the written response of the responsible official have not been effectuated under the conditions set forth in the written response; provided, however, that the failure of the employee to file the further written complaint or the written notice of appeal, as the case may be, within such reasonable period of time shall constitute grounds for the denial of the relief sought by the aggrieved employee.
(2)
To Director of Human Resources Management.
(A)
Whenever any employee files a further written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management under the circumstances and procedures set forth under subparagraphs (a)(1)(C)(i) or (ii) and (a)(1)(D)(i), (ii), or (iii), above, respectively, any such written complaint:
(i)
Shall state the nature of the employee's unresolved grievance, the relief sought by the employee, and the circumstances under which the grievance has been filed; and,
(ii)
Shall be accompanied by a copy of the written complaint filed with the responsible official under subparagraph (a)(1)(A), above, and a copy of the written response of the responsible official, if any, as required under subparagraph (a)(1)(B), above.
(B)
Upon the receipt of any written complaint filed by an employee pursuant to subparagraph (a)(2)(A), above, the Director of Human Resources Management shall adhere to the provisions of subparagraph (a)(1)(B), above, with respect to investigating and responding to such complaint as if the Director of Human Resources Management were the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint in the first instance.
(C)
Any employee who has filed a written complaint with the Director of Human Resources Management under the provisions of subparagraph (a)(2)(A), above, shall be entitled to file a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board with respect to such written complaint under the circumstances set forth under subparagraph (a)(1)(C)(i), (ii), or (iii), above, as if the Director of Human Resources Management were the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint in the first instance.
(D)
Any employee who intends to file a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board under the provisions of subparagraph (a)(2)(C), above, shall do so in accordance with the filing procedures set forth in subparagraph (a)(1)(D)(i), (ii), or (iii), above, as if the Director of Human Resources Management were the responsible official with whom the employee filed the written complaint in the first instance.
(3)
To Personnel Board.
(A)
Whenever any employee files a written notice of appeal with the Personnel Board under the circumstances and procedures set forth in subparagraphs (a)(1)(C)(i), (ii), or (iii) and (a)(1)(D)(i), (ii), or (iii), or under the circumstances and procedures set forth in subparagraphs (a)(2)(C) and (D), as the case may be, any such employee shall additionally file with the Personnel Board, at the same time as the written notice of appeal is filed or no later than ten (10) working days after such notice has been filed, a separate written statement which:
(i)
Shall set forth the nature of the employee's unresolved grievance, the relief sought by the employee, and the circumstances under which the notice of appeal has been filed; and
(ii)
Shall be accompanied by a copy of any written complaint filed with a responsible official and/or the Director of Human Resources Management under Subsections (a)(1) and/or (a)(2), above, and a copy of any written responses of said officials in relation to said complaints, if any, as required under Subsections (a) and (b), above.
(B)
The Personnel Board shall hear and decide any such appeal of an unresolved grievance in accordance with the provisions of Section 16-203. The Personnel Board may dismiss a grievance if the employee fails to identify a specific violation.