Disciplinary Action (A) An employee who has attained permanent status in his current position may be disciplined only for cause.
(B) An employee who has not attained permanent status in his current position shall not have access to the grievance procedure in Article 6 when disciplined.
(C) Each employee shall be furnished a copy of all disciplinary actions placed in his official personnel file and shall be permitted to respond thereto.
(D) An employee may request that a PBA Staff Representative be present during any disciplinary investigation meeting in which the employee is being questioned relative to alleged misconduct of the employee, or during a predetermination conference in which suspension or dismissal of the employee is being considered.
(E) Letters of counseling or counseling notices are documentation of minor work deficiencies or conduct concerns that are not discipline and are not grievable; however, such documentation may be used by the parties at an administrative hearing involving an employee’s discipline to demonstrate the employee was on notice of the performance deficiencies or conduct concerns.
(F) If filed within 21 calendar days following the date of receipt of notice from the DHSMV, by personal delivery or by certified mail, return receipt requested, an employee with permanent status in his current position may appeal a reduction in base pay, involuntary transfer of over 50 miles by highway, suspension, demotion, or dismissal to the Public Employees Relations Commission under the provisions of section 110.227(5) and (6), F.S. In the alternative, such actions may be grieved at Step 2 and processed through the Arbitration Step without review at Step 3, in accordance with the grievance procedure in Article 6 of this Agreement. The DHSMV may have special compensatory leave equal to the length of a disciplinary suspension deducted from an employee’s leave balance in lieu of serving the suspension. An employee may indicate his preference as to whether to serve the suspension or to have special compensatory leave deducted, which preference shall be taken into consideration by the DHSMV in making its decision. If the employee does not have sufficient special compensatory leave, annual leave may be deducted. If there is not sufficient special compensatory or annual leave, the remainder of the period will be leave without pay. Employees from whom leave is deducted will continue to report for duty. The employee’s personnel file will reflect a disciplinary suspension regardless of whether the employee serves the suspension or has leave deducted.
(G) Oral reprimands are not grievable. A written reprimand shall be subject to the grievance procedure in Article 6 if the employee has attained permanent status in his current position; the decision is final and binding at Step 2.
