Email: Chapter 6C
§6C-1-1. Short title.
This article shall be known, and may be cited, as the "Whistle-blower Law."
§6C-1-2. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this article have the meanings given to them in this section unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(a) "Appropriate authority" means a federal, state, county or municipal government body, agency or organization having jurisdiction over criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or waste; or a member, officer, agent, representative or supervisory employee of the body, agency or organization. The term includes, but is not limited to, the office of the Attorney General, the office of the State Auditor, the commission on special investigations, the Legislature and committees of the Legislature having the power and duty to investigate criminal law enforcement, regulatory violations, professional conduct or ethics, or waste.
(b) "Employee" means a person who performs a full or part-time service for wages, salary, or other remuneration under a contract of hire, written or oral, express or implied, for a public body.
(c) "Employer" means a person supervising one or more employees, including the employee in question, a superior of that supervisor, or an agent of a public body.
(d) "Good faith report" means a report of conduct defined in this article as wrongdoing or waste which is made without malice or consideration of personal benefit and which the person making the report has reasonable cause to believe is true.
(e) "Public body" means any of the following:
(1) A department, division, officer, agency, bureau, board, commission, court in its nonjudicial functions only, council, institution, spending unit, authority or other instrumentality of the State of West Virginia;
(2) A commission, council, department, agency, board, court, in its nonjudicial functions only, official, special district, corporation or other instrumentality of a county or a municipality or a regional or joint governing body of one or more counties or municipalities; or
(3) Any other body which is created by state or political subdivision authority or which is funded by thirty-five percent or more by or through state or political subdivision authority, or a member or employee of that body.
(f) "Waste" means an employer or employee's conduct or omissions which result in substantial abuse, misuse, destruction or loss of funds or resources belonging to or derived from federal, state or political subdivision sources.
(g) "Whistle-blower" means a person who witnesses or has evidence of wrongdoing or waste while employed with a public body and who makes a good faith report of, or testifies to, the wrongdoing or waste, verbally or in writing, to one of the employee's superiors, to an agent of the employer or to an appropriate authority.
(h) "Wrongdoing" means a violation which is not of a merely technical or minimal nature of a federal or state statute or regulation, of a political subdivision ordinance or regulation or of a code of conduct or ethics designed to protect the interest of the public or the employer.
§6C-1-3. Discriminatory and retaliatory actions against whistle-blowers prohibited; promotion, increased compensation protected.
(a) No employer may discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee by changing the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because the employee, acting on his or her own volition, or a person acting on behalf of or under the direction of the employee, makes a good faith report, or is about to report, verbally or in writing, to the employer or appropriate authority, an instance of wrongdoing or waste.
(b) No employer may discharge, threaten, or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee by changing the employee’s compensation, terms, conditions, location, or privileges of employment because the employee is requested or subpoenaed by an appropriate authority to participate in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry held by an appropriate authority or in a court action.
(c) No employer may deny a whistle-blower covered by the civil service system, because of his or her status or actions as a whistle-blower, a promotion or other increase in compensation that the whistle-blower otherwise would have received.
§6C-1-4. Civil action by whistle-blower for violation; limitation on actions; burden of proof; defense; use of evidence in civil service proceeding; grievance action available; other rights and actions not limited.
(a) A person who alleges that he or she is a victim of a violation of this article may bring a civil action in a court of competent jurisdiction for appropriate injunctive relief or damages, or both, within two years after the occurrence of the alleged violation.
(b) An employee alleging a violation of this article must show by a preponderance of the evidence that, prior to the alleged reprisal, the employee, or a person acting on behalf of or under the direction of the employee, had reported or was about to report in good faith, verbally or in writing, an instance of wrongdoing or waste to the employer or an appropriate authority.
(c) It shall be a defense to an action under this section if the defendant proves by a preponderance of the evidence that the action complained of occurred for separate and legitimate reasons, which are not merely pretexts.
(d) An employee covered by the civil service system who contests a civil service action, believing it to be motivated by the employee having made a disclosure of information, may submit as admissible evidence any or all material relating to the action as whistle-blower and to the resulting alleged reprisal.
(e) Any employee covered by the civil service system who has suffered a retaliatory action as a result of being a whistle-blower may pursue a grievance under the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Procedure.
(f) Nothing in this article shall impair or limit any other right or legal action of an employee covered by the civil service system.
§6C-1-5. Redress for whistle-blower.
A court, in rendering a judgment for the complainant in an action brought under this article, shall order, as the court considers appropriate, reinstatement of the employee, the payment of back wages, full reinstatement of fringe benefits and seniority rights, actual damages or any combination of these remedies. A court may also award the complainant all or a portion of the costs of litigation, including reasonable attorney fees and witness fees, if the court determines that the award is appropriate.
§6C-1-6. Civil penalty; termination from public service.
(a) A person who, as an employer or under color of an employer’s authority, violates this article is personally liable for a civil fine of not more than $5,000. A civil fine which is collected under this section shall be paid to the State Treasurer for deposit into the General Fund.
(b) In addition to subsection (a) of this section, and notwithstanding any provision in this code to the contrary, if the court specifically finds that the person, while in the employment of a public body, committed a violation of section three of this article with the intent to discourage the disclosure of information, such finding: (1) shall be deemed a finding of official misconduct and malfeasance in office, and may be relied upon as admissible evidence in any subsequent proceeding or petition to remove the person from public office; and (2) may be relied upon by the public body as a basis to discipline the person, including, but not limited to, termination from employment: Provided, That nothing shall be construed as requiring a civil action, civil penalty or a court finding under this section as a condition or prerequisite for a public body to take disciplinary action against the person.
§6C-1-7. Limitations on scope of construction; protections related to political activity and membership in organization of employee.
(a) The provisions of this article shall not be construed to require an employer to compensate an employee for participation in an investigation, hearing, or inquiry held by an appropriate authority or impair the rights of any employee covered by the civil service system to be a member of an organization of employees or to refrain from being a member of an organization of employees.
(b) Except when on duty or acting in an official capacity, and except where otherwise prohibited by state or federal law, no employee covered by the civil service system may be prohibited from engaging in political activity or be denied the right to refrain from engaging in political activity.
§6C-1-8. Notice to employees of protection of whistle-blowers.
An employer shall post notices and use other appropriate means to notify employees and keep them informed of protections and obligations set forth in the provisions of this article.
§6C-2-1. Purpose.
(a) The purpose of this article is to provide a procedure for the resolution of employment grievances raised by the public employees of the State of West Virginia, except as otherwise excluded in this article.
(b) Resolving grievances in a fair, efficient, cost-effective, and consistent manner will maintain good employee morale, enhance employee job performance, and better serve the citizens of the State of West Virginia.
(c) Nothing in this article prohibits the informal disposition of grievances by stipulation or settlement agreed to in writing by the parties, nor the exercise of any hearing right provided in chapter 18 or 18A of this code. Parties to grievances shall always act in good faith and make every possible effort to resolve disputes at the lowest level of the grievance procedure.
§6C-2-2. Definitions.
For the purpose of this article and article three of this chapter:
(a) "Board" means the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board created in article three of this chapter.
(b) "Chief administrator" means, in the appropriate context, the commissioner, chancellor, director, president, secretary or head of any state department, board, commission, agency, state institution of higher education, commission or council, the state superintendent, the county superintendent, the executive director of a regional educational service agency or the director of a multicounty vocational center who is vested with the authority to resolve a grievance. A "chief administrator" includes a designee, with the authority delegated by the chief administrator, appointed to handle any aspect of the grievance procedure as established by this article.
(c) "Days" means working days exclusive of Saturday, Sunday, official holidays, and any day in which the employee’s workplace is legally closed under the authority of the chief administrator due to weather or other causes provided for by statute, rule, policy or practice.
(d) "Discrimination" means any differences in the treatment of similarly situated employees unless the differences are related to the actual job responsibilities of the employees or are agreed to in writing by the employees.
(e)(1) "Employee" means any person hired for permanent employment by an employer for a probationary, full- or part-time position.
(2) A substitute education employee is considered an "employee" only on matters related to days worked or when there is a violation, misapplication, or misinterpretation of a statute, policy, rule, or written agreement relating to the substitute.
(3) "Employee" does not mean a member of the West Virginia State Police employed pursuant to §15-2-1 et seq. of this code but does include civilian employees hired by the superintendent of the State Police. "Employee" does not mean an employee of a Constitutional officer unless he or she is covered under the civil service system, an employee of the Legislature, or a patient or inmate employed by a state institution.
(f) "Employee organization" means an employee advocacy organization with employee members that has filed with the board the name, address, chief officer, and membership criteria of the organization.
(g) "Employer" means a state agency, department, board, commission, college, university, institution, State Board of Education, Department of Education, county board of education, regional educational service agency or multicounty vocational center, or agent thereof, using the services of an employee as defined in this section.
(h) "Favoritism" means unfair treatment of an employee as demonstrated by preferential, exceptional, or advantageous treatment of a similarly situated employee unless the treatment is related to the actual job responsibilities of the employee or is agreed to in writing by the employee.
(i)(1) "Grievance" means a claim by an employee alleging a violation, a misapplication, or a misinterpretation of the statutes, policies, rules, or written agreements applicable to the employee including:
(i) Any violation, misapplication, or misinterpretation regarding compensation, hours, terms and conditions of employment, employment status, or discrimination;
(ii) Any discriminatory or otherwise aggrieved application of unwritten policies or practices of his or her employer;
(iii) Any specifically identified incident of harassment;
(iv) Any specifically identified incident of favoritism; or
(v) Any action, policy, or practice constituting a substantial detriment to or interference with the effective job performance of the employee or the health and safety of the employee.
(2) "Grievance" does not mean:
(A) Any pension matter or other issue relating to public employees’ insurance, in accordance with §5-16-1 et seq. of this code, retirement, or any other matter in which the authority to act is not vested with the employer;
(B) Any matter relating to the protected classes set forth in §5-11-1 et seq. of this code.
(j) "Grievance proceeding", "proceeding" or the plural means a conference, level one hearing, mediation, private mediation, private arbitration or level three hearing, or any combination, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.
(k) "Grievant" means an employee or group of similarly situated employees filing a grievance.
(l) "Harassment" means repeated or continual disturbance, irritation, or annoyance of an employee that is contrary to the behavior expected by law, policy, and profession.
(m) "Party" or the plural, means the grievant, intervenor, employer, and the Director of the Division of Personnel or his or her designee, for most state government employee grievances. The Division of Personnel shall not be a party to grievances involving higher education or Department of Transportation employees.
(n) "Representative" means any employee organization, fellow employee, attorney, or other person designated by the grievant or intervenor as his or her representative, and may not include a supervisor who evaluates the grievant.
(o) "Reprisal" means the retaliation of an employer toward a grievant, witness, representative, or any other participant in the grievance procedure either for an alleged injury itself or any lawful attempt to redress it.
§6C-2-3. Grievance procedure generally.
(a) Filing. —
(1) Each grievant shall file a grievance form, signed by the grievant, within the time limits specified in this article. If more than one grievant is a party to the grievance, they may submit one signed form initiating the grievance. Grievant representatives who file on behalf of one or more grievants shall provide, as part of the grievance form, the name of each grievant being represented and his or her work location. Failure to properly sign the form will result in immediate dismissal of a grievance, without prejudice. If the initial grievance was timely filed and then dismissed without prejudice, the grievant has five days from receipt of the order of dismissal to refile the grievance. The refiled grievance must meet the requirements of this article and applicable rules of procedure.
(2) The specified time limits may be extended to a date certain by mutual written agreement or the grievance evaluator, mediator, or administrative law judge at the request of any party. The specified time limits shall be extended for cause whenever an agency representative, intervenor, or a grievant is not working because of accident, sickness, death in the immediate family, or other cause for which the agency representative or grievant has approved leave from employment.
(b) Default. —
(1) The grievant or the employer prevails by default if a required response is not made by the grievant or the employer representative within the time limits established in this article, unless the employer representative or grievant is prevented from doing so directly as a result of injury, illness, or a justified delay not caused by negligence or intent to delay the grievance process.
(2) Within 10 days of the default, the grievant or employer may file with the chief administrator a written notice of intent to proceed directly to the next level or to enforce the default. If the chief administrator objects to the default, then the chief administrator may, within five days of the filing of the notice of intent, request a hearing before an administrative law judge for the purpose of stating a defense to the default, as permitted by subdivision (1) of this subsection, or showing that the remedy requested by the prevailing grievant is contrary to law or contrary to proper and available remedies. The administrative law judge shall determine whether the remedy is proper, available, and not contrary to law.
(3) If the administrative law judge finds that the grievant or the employer has a defense to the default, as permitted by subdivision (1) of this subsection, or that the remedy is contrary to law or not proper or available at law, the administrative law judge may deny the default or modify the remedy to be granted to comply with the law or otherwise make the grievant or employer whole.
(c) Defenses and limitations. —
(1). Timeliness. — A grievance must be filed within the time frames established in §6C-2-4 of this code. If the level one evaluator determines that the grievance was not timely filed, an order dismissing the grievance shall be issued. In no event shall a motion to dismiss be held in abeyance while other proceedings take place. This decision may be appealed to level three, and an administrative law judge shall review the order. If the dismissal is upheld an order shall be issued and the grievance shall be removed from the grievance board’s docket. If the dismissal is overturned an order shall be entered stating with particularity the facts and the law found to be in error in the order below. The grievance will be returned to level one for disposition. An administrative law judge will decide an appeal of a dismissal for untimeliness within 30 days. If the grievant proceeds directly to level three, the administrative law judge shall make a determination on timeliness prior to scheduling the level three hearing.
(2) Motion to dismiss. — Any party may, at any time, file a motion to dismiss asserting that the board lacks jurisdiction under §6C-2-2(i) of this code, that the grievant has otherwise failed to state a claim under this article upon which relief may be granted, or that the grievance was not timely filed. Upon filing of such a motion, the chief administrator or administrative law judge shall immediately hold in abeyance all other proceedings, and within 10 days of receipt of filing, issue a ruling on the motion or schedule the motion for a hearing.
(3) Back pay. — When it is a proper remedy, back pay may only be granted for one year prior to the filing of a grievance, unless the grievant shows, by a preponderance of the evidence, that the employer acted in bad faith in concealing the facts giving rise to the claim for back pay, in which case an 18-month limitation on back pay applies.
(4) Statutory defense. — If a party intends to assert the application of any statute, policy, rule, or written agreement as a defense at any level, then a copy of the materials shall be forwarded to all parties.
(d) Withdrawal and reinstatement of grievance. — An employee may withdraw a grievance at any time by filing a written notice of withdrawal with the chief administrator or the administrative law judge. The grievance may not be reinstated by the grievant unless reinstatement is granted by the chief administrator or the administrative law judge. If more than one employee is named as a grievant, the withdrawal of one employee does not prejudice the rights of any other employee named in the grievance.
(e) Consolidation and groups of similarly situated employees. —
(1) Grievances may be consolidated at any level by agreement of all parties or at the discretion of the chief administrator or administrative law judge: Provided, That a grievance that has been dismissed under the provisions of subdivisions (1) or (2) of this subsection may not be revived or consolidated with another grievance.
(2) Class actions are not permitted. However, a grievance may be filed by one or more employees on behalf of a group of similarly situated employees. Any similarly situated employee shall complete a grievance form stating his or her intent to join the group of similarly situated employees. Only one employee filing a grievance on behalf of similarly situated employees shall be required to participate in the conference or level one hearing.
(f) Intervention. — Upon a timely request, any employee may intervene and become a party to a grievance at any level when the employee demonstrates that the disposition of the action may substantially and adversely affect his or her rights or property and that his or her interest is not adequately represented by the existing parties.
(g) Representation and disciplinary action. —
(1) An employee may designate and shall provide the name and contact information for the individual or organization of the representative who may be present at any step of the procedure, as well as at any meeting that is held with the employee for the purpose of discussing or considering disciplinary action.
(2) An employee may not be compelled to testify against himself or herself in a disciplinary grievance hearing.
(h) Reprisal. — No reprisal or retaliation of any kind may be taken by an employer against a grievant or any other participant in a grievance proceeding by reason of his or her participation. Reprisal or retaliation constitutes a grievance and any person held responsible is subject to disciplinary action for insubordination.
(i) Improper classification. — A supervisor or administrator responsible for a willful act of bad faith toward an employee or who intentionally works an employee out of classification may be subject to disciplinary action, including demotion or discharge.
(j) Forms. — The board shall create the forms for filing grievances, giving notice, taking appeals, making reports and recommendations, and all other necessary documents and provide them on the Grievance Board’s website to be downloaded for completion and submission and for chief administrators to make available to any employee upon request.
(k) Discovery. — The parties are entitled to copies of all material submitted to the chief administrator or the administrative law judge by any party.
(l) Notice. — Reasonable notice of a proceeding shall be sent at least five days prior to the proceeding to all parties and their representatives and shall include the date, time, and place of the proceeding. If an employer causes a proceeding to be postponed without adequate notice to employees who are scheduled to appear during their normal workday, the employees may not suffer any loss in pay for work time lost.
(m) Record. — Conferences may be recorded at the discretion of the chief administrator for the sole use of aiding in issuing a decision or report. The recording shall not be transcribed, nor will the recording be shared with the parties, or made part of the record. The recording shall be destroyed promptly after the decision has been issued. All documents admitted, and the decision, agreement, or report become part of the record. All the testimony at a level one and level three hearing shall be recorded by mechanical means and a copy of the recording or transcript will be provided to any party upon request. The board is responsible for paying for and promptly providing a certified transcript of a level three hearing to the court for a mandamus or appellate proceeding.
(n) Grievance decisions and reports. —
(1) Any party may propose findings of fact and conclusions of law within 20 days of an arbitration or a level three hearing.
(2) A decision, agreement, or report shall be dated, in writing, setting forth the reasons for the decision or outcome, and transmitted to the parties and, in a private arbitration, to the board, within the time limits prescribed. If the grievance is not resolved, the written decision or report shall include the address and procedure to appeal to the next level.
(o) Scheduling. — All proceedings shall be scheduled during regular work hours in a convenient location accessible to all parties in accommodation to the parties’ normal operations and work schedules. By agreement of the parties, a proceeding may be scheduled at any time or any place. Disagreements shall be decided by the chief administrator or administrative law judge presiding in the case.
(p) Attendance and preparation. —
(1) The grievant, witnesses, and an employee representative shall be granted reasonable and necessary time off during working hours to attend grievance proceedings without loss of pay and without charge to annual or compensatory leave credits. A grievant or an intervenor may not be on any type of leave time or worker compensation at the time of the conference, mediation, hearing, or other proceeding. The proceedings shall be held in abeyance until the grievant returns to work: Provided, That, where the grievant has been determined to be unable to return to work, and the grievant’s inability to return to work does not render the grievance moot, the grievance proceedings shall be resumed and the grievance resolved upon its merits.
(2) In addition to actual time spent attending grievance proceedings, the grievant and an employee representative shall be granted time off during working hours, not to exceed four hours per grievance, for the preparation of the grievance without loss of pay and without charge to annual or compensatory leave credits. However, the first responsibility of any employee is the work assigned to the employee. An employee may not allow grievance preparation and representation activities to seriously affect the overall productivity of the employee as determined by the employer. An employee may be the representative in no more than five grievances per year. Time spent in preparing for and attending grievance proceeding will be accounted for on leave request forms by stating the amount of time expended in such activities. Each employee representative shall request annual leave for any time in excess of four hours per grievance spent in grievance preparation.
(3) The grievant and an employee representative shall have access to the employer’s equipment for purposes of preparing grievance documents subject to the reasonable rules of the employer governing the use of the equipment for nonwork purposes.
(4) Disagreements regarding preparation time shall be decided by the chief administrator or administrative law judge presiding in the case.
(q) Grievance files. —
(1) All grievance forms decisions, agreements, and reports shall be kept in a file separate from the personnel file of the employee and may not become a part of the personnel file, but shall remain confidential except by mutual written agreement of the parties.
(2) The grievant may file a written request to have his or her identity removed from any files kept by the employer one year following the conclusion of the grievance.
(r) Number of grievances. — The number of grievances filed against an employer by an employee is not, per se, an indication of the employer’s or the employee’s job performance.
(s) Procedures and rules. — The board shall prescribe rules and procedures in compliance with this article, article three of this chapter and the state Administrative Procedures Act under chapter 29A of this code for all proceedings relating to the level three grievance procedure. Chief administrators may adopt procedural rules to govern level one proceedings. Chief administrators and administrative law judges are governed by the West Virginia Ethics Commission’s legislative Code of Conduct for Administrative Law Judges, rule 158 CSR 13.
§6C-2-4. Grievance procedural levels.
(a) Level one: Chief administrator. —
(1) Within 15 days following the occurrence of the event upon which the grievance is based, within 15 days of the date upon which the event became known to the employee, or within 15 days of the most recent occurrence of a continuing practice giving rise to a grievance, an employee may file a written grievance with the chief administrator stating the nature of the grievance and the relief requested and request either a conference or a hearing. The employee shall also file a copy of the grievance with the board. State government employees using the services of the Division of Personnel shall further file a copy of the grievance with the Director of the Division of Personnel. Employees of the Department of Transportation shall file a copy of the grievance with the chief administrator or designated grievance evaluator.
(2) Conference. — The chief administrator shall hold a conference within 20 days of receiving the grievance. A conference is a private, informal meeting between the grievant and the chief administrator to discuss the issues raised by the grievance, exchange information, and attempt to resolve the grievance. The chief administrator may permit other employees and witnesses to attend and participate in a conference to reach a resolution. The chief administrator shall issue a written decision within 20 days of the conference.
(3) Level one hearing. — The chief administrator shall hold a level one hearing within 20 days of receiving the grievance. A level one hearing is a recorded proceeding conducted in private in which the grievant is entitled to be heard and to present evidence; the formal rules of evidence and procedure do not apply, but the parties are bound by the rules of privilege recognized by law. The parties may present and cross-examine witnesses and produce documents, but the number of witnesses, motions and other procedural matters may be limited by the chief administrator. The chief administrator shall issue a written decision within 20 days of the level one hearing.
(4) An employee may proceed directly to level three upon the agreement of the parties or when the grievant has been discharged, suspended without pay, demoted or reclassified resulting in a loss of compensation or benefits. Level one and level two proceedings are waived in these matters.
(b) Level two: Alternative dispute resolution. —
(1) Within 15 days of receiving an adverse written decision at level one, the grievant shall file a written request for mediation, private mediation, or private arbitration.
(2) Mediation. — The board shall schedule the mediation between the parties within 20 days of the request. Mediation shall be conducted by an administrative law judge pursuant to standard mediation practices and board procedures at no cost to the parties. Parties may be represented, and the representative shall have the authority to resolve the dispute. The report of the mediation shall be documented in writing within 20 days. Agreements are binding and enforceable in this state by a writ of mandamus.
(3) Private mediation. — The parties may agree in writing to retain their choice of a private mediator and share the cost. The mediator shall schedule the mediation within 20 days of the written request and shall follow standard mediation practices and any applicable board procedures. Parties may be represented and shall have the authority to resolve the dispute. The report of the mediation shall be documented in writing within 20 days. Agreements are binding and enforceable in this state by a writ of mandamus.
(4) Private arbitration. — The parties may agree, in writing, to retain their choice of a private arbitrator and share the cost. The arbitrator shall schedule the arbitration within 20 days of the written request and shall follow standard arbitration practices and any applicable board procedures. The arbitrator shall render a decision in writing to all parties, setting forth findings of fact and conclusions of law on the issues submitted within 30 days following the arbitration. An arbitration decision is binding and enforceable in this state by a writ of mandamus. The arbitrator shall inform the board, in writing, of the decision within 15 days.
(c) Level three hearing. —
(1) Within 10 days of receiving a written report stating that level two was unsuccessful, the grievant may file a written appeal with the employer and the board requesting a level three hearing on the grievance. State government employees who use the services of the Division of Personnel shall further file a copy of the grievance with the Director of the Division of Personnel. Employees of the Department of Transportation shall file a copy of the grievance with the chief administrator or designated grievance evaluator.
(2) The administrative law judge shall conduct all proceedings in an impartial manner and shall ensure that all parties are accorded procedural and substantive due process.
(3) The administrative law judge shall schedule the level three hearing and any other proceedings or deadlines within 30 days of receipt of the appeal from a lower-level decision in consultation with the parties. The location of the hearing and whether the hearing is to be made public are at the discretion of the administrative law judge. Hearings may be rescheduled at the request of either party for good cause shown or by the administrative law judge.
(4) The administrative law judge may issue subpoenas for witnesses, limit witnesses, administer oaths, and exercise other powers granted by rule or law.
(5) Within 30 days following the hearing or the receipt of the proposed findings of fact and conclusions of law, the administrative law judge shall render a decision in writing to all parties setting forth findings of fact and conclusions of law on the issues submitted.
(6) The administrative law judge may make a determination of bad faith and, in extreme instances, allocate the cost of the hearing to the party found to be acting in bad faith. The allocation of costs shall be based on the relative ability of the party to pay the costs.
§6C-2-5. Enforcement and appeal.
(a) The decision of the administrative law judge is final upon the parties and is enforceable in the circuit court situated in the judicial district in which the grievant is employed.
(b) An appeal of the decision of the administrative law judge shall be to the Intermediate Court of Appeals in accordance with §51-11-4(b)(4) of this code and the Rules of Appellate Procedure.
§6C-2-6. Allocation of expenses and attorney’s fees.
(a) Any expenses incurred relative to the grievance procedure at levels one, two, or three shall be borne by the party incurring the expenses.
(b) In the event a grievant or employer appeals an adverse level three decision to the Intermediate Court of Appeals, or an adverse Intermediate Court of Appeals decision to the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia, and the appellant substantially prevails upon the appeal, the appellant may recover court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees for the appeal to be set by the court: Provided, That the provisions of this subsection shall only allow the discretionary recovery of court costs and reasonable attorney’s fees from a grievant if he or she has not substantially prevailed at any level of the grievance process or in any appeal to the Intermediate Court of Appeals or the Supreme Court of Appeals of West Virginia.
§6C-2-7. Mandamus proceeding.
Any employer failing to comply with the provisions of this article may be compelled to do so by a mandamus proceeding and may be liable to a prevailing party for court costs and reasonable attorney's fees to be set by the court.
§6C-2-8. Employee organizations may not be compelled to disclose certain communications; exceptions.
(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, an employee organization or an agent of an employee organization may not be compelled to disclose any communication or information the employee organization or agent received or acquired in confidence from a public employee, while the employee organization or agent was acting in a representative capacity concerning a public employee grievance or an investigation of a potential public employee grievance, regardless of whether the public employee is a member of the employee organization: Provided, That the confidentiality established under this section does not apply to written communications between the employee and the employee organization.
(b) (1) The confidentiality established under this section applies only to the extent that the communication or information is germane to a grievance or potential grievance of the employee.
(2) The confidentiality established under this subsection continues after termination of:
(A) The employee's employment; or
(B) The representative relationship of the employee organization or its agent with the public employee.
(3) The confidentiality established under this subsection protects the communication or information received or acquired by the employee organization or its agent, but does not protect the employee from being compelled to disclose, to the extent provided by law, the facts underlying the communication or information.
(c) The protection for confidential communications provided by this section only extends to proceedings under the public employees grievance procedure. Nothing in this section may be construed to extend the confidentiality to circuit court, appellate proceedings, or other proceedings outside of the public employees grievance procedure.
(d) An employee organization or its agent shall disclose to the employer as soon as possible a communication or information described in subsection (a) of this section to the extent the employee organization or its agent reasonably believes:
(1) It is necessary to prevent certain death or substantial bodily harm;
(2) It is necessary to prevent the employee from committing a crime, fraud, or any act that is reasonably certain to result in substantial injury to the financial interests or property of another or to rectify or mitigate the action after it has occurred;
(3) The communication or information constitutes an admission that the employee has committed a crime; or
(4) It is necessary to comply with a court order or other law.
(e) An employee organization or its agent may disclose a communication or information described in subsection (a) of this section in order to:
(1) Secure legal advice about the compliance of the employee organization or its agent with a court order or other law;
(2) Establish a claim or defense on behalf of the employee organization or its agent in a controversy between the employee and the employee organization or its agent;
(3) Establish a defense to a criminal charge or civil claim against the employee organization or its agent based on conduct in which the employee was involved; or
(4) Respond to allegations in any proceeding concerning the performance of professional duties by the employee organization or its agent on behalf of the employee.
(f) An employee organization or its agent may disclose a communication or information described in subsection (a) of this section, without regard to whether the disclosure is made within the public employees grievance procedure, in the following circumstances:
(1) The employee organization has obtained the express written or oral consent of the employee;
(2) The employee has, by other act or conduct, waived the confidentiality of the communication or information; or
(3) The employee is deceased or has been adjudicated incompetent by a court of competent jurisdiction and the employee organization has obtained the written or oral consent of the personal representative of the employee's estate or of the employee's guardian.
(g) If there is a conflict between the application of this section and any federal or state labor law, the provisions of the federal or other state law shall control.
§6C-3-1. West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board.
(a) Effective June 30, 2007, the Education and State Employees Grievance Board, and the employment of the hearing examiners and administrative law judges under the board, terminate.
(b) Effective July 1, 2007, the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board is created as an independent entity under the Department of Administration and all references to the Education and State Employees Grievance Board in the code shall be considered to refer to the West Virginia Public Employees Grievance Board.
(c) On or before July 1, 2007, the Governor, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint the following five members to the board for the following terms:
(1) One person representing the largest labor organization in the state for a term of three years;
(2) One person representing an education employee organization in the state for a term of two years;
(3) One employer representative from the executive branch for a term of two years;
(4) One employer representative from secondary or higher education for a term of three years; and
(5) One citizen member, who is not a current employee, employer, or a representative of employees in a workplace in the public, educational, or higher educational sector of this state, for a term of one year.
(d) After the initial appointment, the board term shall be three years.
(e) No member may serve more than two consecutive full terms and any member having served two consecutive full terms may not be appointed for one year after completion of his or her second full term. A member shall continue to serve until his or her successor has been appointed and qualified.
(f) A vacancy on the board shall be filled by the Governor by appointment of a like member for the unexpired term of the member whose office is vacant.
(g) The membership of the board shall represent each congressional district, with no more than three members from any one district and no more than three members may be from the same political party.
(h) Each member of the board, at the time of his or her appointment, must have been a resident of this state for a period of not less than one year immediately preceding the appointment and each member of the board shall remain a resident of this state during the appointment term.
(i) The Governor may remove any member from the board for neglect of duty, incompetency, criminal convictions, or official misconduct.
(j) Any member of the board immediately and automatically forfeits his or her membership if he or she is convicted of a felony under the laws of any state or the United States, or becomes a nonresident of this state.
(k) The board shall hold at least four meetings per year. Other meetings shall be held at the call of the chairperson or upon the written request of two members, at such time and place as designated in the call or request.
(l) The board shall designate one of its members as chairperson and one member as secretary-treasurer who shall serve at the will of the board.
(m) A majority of the members of the board constitute a quorum.
(n) Each member of the board is entitled to receive compensation and expense reimbursement as is accorded legislators in the performance of their duties.
§6C-3-2. Powers and duties of the board.
The board shall:
(1) Maintain jurisdiction over procedural matters in the grievance process;
(2) Employ competent administrative law judges and a chief administrative law judge and pay them commensurately with other administrative law judges in the state, who shall be:
(A) Residents of the State of West Virginia;
(B) Members in good standing of the West Virginia State Bar; and
(C) Persons who have knowledge and legal experience regarding public and education employment law and alternative dispute resolution;
(3) Provide suitable office space for the board and the administrative law judges separate from any workplace in the public, educational and higher educational sectors, so that the administrative law judges are accessible statewide;
(4) Hire, discharge, set the job requirements for and fix the compensation of the director, employees and administrative law judges, who serve at the will and pleasure of the board, necessary to enforce the provisions of this article and article two of this chapter;
(5) Prepare and submit an annual budget;
(6) Establish and provide all forms necessary for the grievance process and make them easily accessible;
(7) Establish procedures to obtain and maintain records, outcomes and costs at each level of the grievance process;
(8) Keep accurate and complete records of its proceedings and hearings and certify the records as may be appropriate;
(9) Evaluate, on an annual basis, the grievance process, including written comment from employers, employees and employee organizations that participate in the process;
(10) Submit an annual report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, the Legislature and the Governor that includes a compilation of all data received regarding outcomes and costs at each level of the grievance process;
(11) File a mandamus proceeding against any employer failing to comply with the reporting requirements of this article; and
(12) Take all other actions necessary and proper to effectuate the purposes of this article.
§6C-3-3. Data collection and reporting requirements.
(a) Each employer involved in a grievance matter shall maintain the forms and all records created in the grievance process, and shall provide this information to the board in the form and manner prescribed by the board.
(b) The board shall obtain and maintain all records of grievance matters.
(c) The board shall annually report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance, the Legislature and the Governor. The report shall contain the following:
(1) An overview of grievance-related issues;
(2) The number of grievances against each employer;
(3) Identification of each grievance by type of grievance, level of resolution and cost of the grievance, including the estimated cost of employee time to handle the grievance and actual cost of any legal time or damages paid in the resolution of the grievance;
(4) The number and type of grievances granted, denied or resolved by other means, including informal resolutions and alternative dispute resolution, and the actual or estimated cost of handling the grievance at each level of the grievance process;
(5) Any legislative recommendations for changes to the grievance process as a result of the data collected; and
(6) The caseload of each administrative law judge, the type of grievance, the number of grievances resolved and the number of decisions issued.
(d) Nothing contained in the annual report may breach the confidentiality of a party to the dispute, nor may any matter be disclosed if the disclosure may violate any provision of law.
§6C-3-4. Rule-making authority.
(a) The rules established by the Education and State Employees Grievance Board in effect on the effective date of this article that are consistent with the provisions of this article and article two of this chapter remain in effect until they are amended, modified or repealed.
(b) The board may adopt, modify, amend and repeal procedural rules promulgated in accordance with article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, necessary to effectuate the provisions of this article and article two of this chapter including, but not limited to, procedures to create and distribute forms, obtain and maintain records and collect and report data.
(c) The board shall adopt, modify, amend, repeal and enforce rules for legislative approval necessary to effectuate the provisions of this article and article two of this chapter, including any emergency rules, pursuant to article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code.
§6C-3-5.
Repealed.
Acts, 2010 Reg. Sess., Ch. 32.
§6C-3-6. Review of the grievance procedure.
On or before January 1, 2010, the Joint Committee on Government and Finance shall review the grievance procedure and the board, evaluate its usefulness and make recommendations concerning its continuation or termination.
§6C-4-1. Definitions.
As used in this article, the following words and terms have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise:
(a) "Advanced professional development training" means any academy, class, conference, course, program, seminar or training attended by an employee that:
(1) Is not required by his or her current position;
(2) Is not required for the performance of his or her current job responsibilities; and
(3) Is intended to develop a higher level of skill, to develop an increase in professional or technical knowledge, or to obtain an advanced level of professional accreditation.
"Advanced professional development training" does not include routine job training, training required for the employee's performance of his or her current job responsibilities, attendance at professional conventions, seminars, continuing professional education or any form of training required to renew an employee's professional accreditation or any training costing less than $1,000.
(b) "Agency" means an administrative unit of state government, including, without limitation, any authority, board, bureau, commission, committee, council, division, section, or office within the executive branch of state government.
(c) "Continuing professional education" means educational courses, seminars, lectures or programs necessary to maintain or renew an employee's professional accreditation.
(d) "Employee" means any person who performs a full or part-time service for wages, salary, or other remuneration under a contract for hire, written or oral, express or implied, for an agency and receives advanced professional development training after the effective date of this article.
(e) "Professional accreditation" means any certification, degree, advanced degree, endorsement or occupational license.
(f) "Training compensation" means tuition and expenses, paid to an or on the behalf of an employee for advanced professional development training.
§6C-4-2. Agreements to reimburse state agencies for training compensation paid to employees; rule-authority.
(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of this code to the contrary, an agency may require an employee to enter into a written reimbursement agreement to repay training compensation.
(b) If an employee voluntarily leaves employment with the agency within one year after receiving advanced professional development training and becomes employed within one year with an entity other than the State of West Virginia, in a capacity which utilizes the advanced professional development training, the employee shall repay a pro rata portion of the training compensation as provided in the reimbursement agreement.
(c) The Division of Personnel shall propose rules for legislative approval, in accordance with the provisions of article three, chapter twenty-nine-a of this code, to set forth a standard reimbursement agreement form which provides the following minimum requirements:
(1) Providing general contract language including terms and conditions of repayment;
(2) Specifying types of advanced professional development training;
(3) Requiring service no longer than one year;
(4) Permitting and describing the circumstances an agency may withhold prorated amounts from any final payments due and owing to the employee; and
(5) Providing exceptions for an employee who becomes injured or ill and can no longer perform his or her assigned job functions.
§6C-4-3. Exemptions.
(a) The provisions of this article do not apply to:
(1) Training offered to a member of the West Virginia State Police during his or her participation in the West Virginia State Police Cadet Training Program in accordance with the provisions of subsection (i), section five, article two, chapter fifteen of this code;
(2) A member of the West Virginia National Guard; and
(3) Employees of the Legislature, the Supreme Court of Appeals, the Attorney General, the Secretary of State, the Auditor, the Treasurer and the Commissioner of Agriculture.