The Town of South Berwick recognizes that from time to time the public may have complaints lodged against employees. It is the policy of the Town Council that every complaint shall be handled in a timely and courteous fashion. Further, every complaint that is investigated will be done in a manner which equally considers the public's and employee's rights. No complaint shall be considered under this article which shall have been filed 30 days after the complainant's first knowledge of the cause for complaint. The sole purpose of any investigation conducted under this article is to establish the legitimacy of the complaint. Should the investigation reveal that disciplinary action against the employee is merited, it shall be handled in accordance with Article XVI of this policy.
The following procedure will be used to handle complaints against employees:
A. 
The complainant shall contact the employee's immediate supervisor. The supervisor, complainant and the employee will attempt to resolve the complaint informally. The supervisor will advise the Town Manager of any complaints received.
B. 
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the decision of the supervisor, he shall, within five calendar days, submit his/her complaint, in writing, defining the specifics of the complaint, including the names of witnesses, to the department head, who shall give copies of the complaint to the employee(s) named in the complaint. Further, the department head shall investigate the complaint and inform, in writing, the complainant and the employee(s), within a reasonable period of time, of what disposition will be made of the complaint. During the investigation, a suspension of the employee(s) may be ordered depending on the circumstances.
C. 
Should the complainant not be satisfied with the decision of the department head, the complainant shall, within five calendar days of the decision, submit his/her complaint, in writing, with a copy of the department head's decision to the Town Manager. The Town Manager shall give copies of the complaint to the department head and employee(s) of his/her decision regarding the disposition of the complaint.