Grievance Committee

“Where members have a grievance over issues such as plagiarism, with a publisher over a contractual issue, or a similar matter; and that grievance has not been resolved after the member has made reasonable endeavors, the member may approach the HWA Grievance Committee. The Committee will consider the facts and endeavor to assist the Member in getting a satisfactory resolution.”
– HWA Member Handbook

Function
HWA Grievance Committee is established to provide an avenue within the organization where members may freely and openly inform the association of events that may negatively affect the organization or its members. The Chairman of the Grievance Committee must appoint volunteers to act as committee members. The committee must have a minimum of 5 volunteers including the chairman, but never exceed 9 members, including chairman.

The committee DOES NOT:

• Make decisions regarding the morality of members.
• Take sides on any issue.
• Play favorites.

The HWA offers this service as a benefit to its members and acts solely as an investigator/mediator. The HWA does not provide legal advice to anyone. If a party to a dispute informs the HWA that such party is represented by legal counsel, the HWA will immediately cease its investigation or mediation unless all parties and their counsel agree otherwise. The HWA is not obligated to conduct an investigation or mediation with regard to any matter that, in its sole discretion, the HWA deems to be outside the scope of the Grievance Committee or deems might place any of the HWA or its officers, trustees, or members of the Grievance Committee in jeopardy or expose any of them to liability.

Purpose
The purpose of the Grievance Committee is to help members resolve various complaints AFTER the member has utilized their own methods of resolution.

The chairman will notify HWA leadership and Board of Directors of any negative trends found in grievances.

Steps of grievance committee upon receiving complaint:

• Ensure that the complainant is a dues-paying member of the HWA.
• Ensure that complaint specifies type of grievance.
• Contact the complainant within 72 hours.
• Contact the defendant within 48 hours after receiving a completed grievance form from the complainant.
• Check complaints against the current bylaws of the association.

To submit a grievance, members must log in to the members-only area of the horror.org site and visit the Grievance Committee page.