Customer Complaint Resolution ManualDecember 2014

The Maine Department of Labor provides equal opportunity in employment and programs. Auxiliary aids and services are available to individuals with disabilities upon request.

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution Manual October 2014 1

Table of Contents

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution Manual. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Customer Complaint Resolution Policy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4

Local Office Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5

Complaint File Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7

Quarterly Complaint Log Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

Completion of the Quarterly Log Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

Sample of Completed Log Sheet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11

Types of Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

Conditions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12

How to Handle Complaints Locally . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13

How to Handle Complaints at State Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15

ETA Form 8429 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16

Completion of ETA Form 8429 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18

Complaint Resolution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19

Specific CareerCenter-Related Programs and Services. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

Veterans Services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2122

H-2A Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2324

Migrant and Seasonal Farmworkers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25

Trade Adjustment Assistance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26

Competitive Skills Scholarship Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

Referred Complaints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28

Department of Labor Personnel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2930

Discrimination . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3134

Americans with Disabilities Act . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35

Wage and Hour Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .36

Division of Vocational Rehabilitation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3739

Division of the Blind and Visually Impaired . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4041

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution Manual October 20142

State Complaint System Administration. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

State Complaint Resolution Administrator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4344

Hearings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4547

Discontinuation of Services to Employers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4851

Appendix A Master List of Personnel and Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

State Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .54

Equal Opportunity Contacts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55

Federal Agencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .56

Appendix B Forms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .5767

Appendix C Sample Letters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6770

Appendix D Posters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .7178

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution Manual October 2014 3

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution ManualThe Maine CareerCenter system strives to assure that every customers needs are met and customers are satisfied with the services they receive . From time to time, customers of the employment services system may have complaints about processes, violations of employment laws, employer practices, discrimination, unsafe working conditions, and the like . This manual is designed to help CareerCenter staff respond to these complaints in a timely and efficient manner . Under federal law, it is our duty to do so within certain time constraints .

The processes described in this manual are intended for use for all customer complaints regarding programs and services offered by CareerCenters. This includes offices of Service Providers who administer the Workforce Investment Act programs as well as CareerCenter Service Points.

Except in cases where complaints need to be referred to a different or higher entity immediately, complaints should be resolved at the local CareerCenter level, and guidance is given here about how complaints are expected to be handled . Details are also included in this manual addressing how complaints not resolved at the local level should be referred to the appropriate agency or person .

This manual applies to, and is made available to, all CareerCenter and Service Provider management and staff .

Maine CareerCenter Customer Complaint Resolution Manual October 20144

Customer Complaint Resolution Policy

Policy Objectives

Respond to and attempt to resolve customer complaints at the local level as quickly as possible, whenever appropriate .

Ensure complaints are resolved to each customers satisfaction whenever possible .

Provide CareerCenter managers and staff with an understanding of the formal complaint process for all programs operating within the CareerCenter .

Define joint supervisor/managerial responsibilities for processing and resolving customer complaints.

Responsibility of CareerCenter Managers

It will be the joint responsibility of the CareerCenter Managers and Service Provider Managers to work collaboratively to ensure the complaint resolution process is carried out in a uniform, timely, and consistent manner . The Bureau of Employment Services (BES) CareerCenter Managers are responsible for forwarding all complaint resolution documentation to the State Complaint Resolution Administrator for their related Service Provider locations .

Guidelines

When possible, complaints and grievances will be resolved locally witho