The Grievance System - A Two-Level Process

Level I: Review by the Initial Authority (within the Canadian Forces)

A common misconception about the Canadian Forces grievance procedure is that a grievor can submit a grievance directly to the Board. In fact, the process begins not with the Board, but with the grievor's Commanding Officer (CO):

• Step 1: The grievor submits the grievance to his or her CO.
• Step 2: If the CO cannot act as the Initial Authority (IA), he submits the grievance to someone who can act as the IA, i.e. the next superior officer having the responsibility to deal with the matter. If the grievor is satisfied with the Initial Authority's decision, the grievance process ends there.

Level II: Review by the Chief of the Defence Staff

Grievors who are dissatisfied with the Initial Authority's decision may request to have their grievance reviewed by the CDS whose decision is the final stage in the grievance process.

Grievors initiate this second level of review as follows:

• Step 1: They submit their request for a second level of review.
• Step 2: For those grievances that fall within the Board's mandate, the DGCFGA (Director General, Canadian Forces Grievance Authority) forwards the grievor's file (on behalf of the CDS) to the Canadian Forces Grievance Board.