D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 8, r. 8-A1605
All grievances shall be raised initially at the level where the conflict or situation giving rise to the grievance occurred.
An employee must exhaust the informal grievance settlement procedures set forth in this section and § 1606 before filing a formal grievance.
Informal grievance settlement procedures must be initiated by the employee within ten (10) working days of the time at which the grievance arose.
An employee shall initiate informal grievance settlement procedures by presenting the grievance to the employee's immediate supervisor, either orally or in writing.
If the grievance has arisen from the action of the Dean, Associate Dean, or an official other than the employee's immediate supervisor, the employee shall be referred to the appropriate official by the immediate supervisor to whom the grievance is initially presented.
An employee referred to another official by his or her supervisor under § 1605.5 shall present the grievance, either orally or in writing, to the official to whom the employee has been referred.
The time limit for filing the grievance, set forth in § 1605.3, shall be deemed to have been met by the filing of the grievance with the immediate supervisor, regardless of any subsequent referral and presentation of the appropriate official.
D.C. Mun. Regs. tit. 8, r. 8-A1605