As the summer draws to a close and we all gradually return to work and meet our colleagues again after the holidays, I thought it would be useful and appropriate to remind you of the Ombud’s role in serving the CERN community and that each of you might one day consider making use of the Ombud’s services.

The primary role of the Ombud is to help to informally resolve the conflicts that can arise in our working lives. Conflicts at work are only normal and are perfectly acceptable. They can even be a chance to improve our relations with our colleagues, as long as they are handled constructively. However, if they are left to fester, rather than being tackled openly and in a spirit of mutual respect, they can soon become destructive.

The Ombud provides a conflict resolution service without an official complaints procedure. This service is completely confidential, and nothing that is said is recorded. In helping you to solve the conflicts you may be facing, in an informal way, the Ombud provides the following tools:

• Discussion of the conflict and the options available to you to resolve it. This discussion will not focus on the detailed causes of the conflict but on your needs and goals and on how to overcome the problem.
• Mediation between the parties concerned. This is a very effective, well-documented process, which helps the two parties to find, together, an agreement that will help them to improve their working relations.

The conflicts that visitors bring to my office don’t necessarily involve another person. They may be linked to the hierarchical chain, a process, a management system or the general atmosphere within a unit. In such cases, a discussion with the Ombud can also be very useful as the Ombud can look at the situation you’re facing with fresh eyes or provide a sounding board, a mirror, for your concerns.

The Ombud’s second role is to promote CERN’s values and its Code of Conduct, which are basic tools for living together as a community. This aspect of the Ombud’s work is the reason for my regular articles in the CERN Bulletin and is also why the Ombud’s Mattermost discussion channel was set up.

The CERN Code of the Conduct describes how all members of the CERN community are expected to behave in the workplace and is naturally also my point of reference in analysing the situations facing my visitors and in exploring solutions.

Finally, I would like to remind you of the fundamental principles governing the role of the Ombud, which underpin all the services on offer and are unique to CERN:

• Independence. This is guaranteed by the fact that the Ombud does not report to any hierarchical supervisor and is not involved in drawing up strategies and processes. The Ombud reports directly to the Director-General, who gives her complete autonomy in fulfilling her role. . Moreover, the Ombud does not take up any other role within CERN at the end of the mandate. This means that the Ombud’s relations with visitors and various partners are in no way influenced by a career plan or other interests.
• Impartiality and neutrality. These two principles, which are closely related to independence, are consciously applied by the Ombud, who strives to avoid passing judgement and taking sides in a conflict.
• Informality. Going to see the Ombud is a purely informal step, which means that no process is triggered. If you contact the Ombud, what happens next is squarely in your hands. The Ombud will never take any action if you don’t specifically request it and consent to it.
• Last, but by no means least, confidentiality. Everything you discuss with the Ombud remains strictly confidential and stays within the four walls of the Ombud’s office (or the four virtual walls of the Ombud’s personal Zoom room). The confidentiality requirement applies to the visitor as well as to the Ombud.

Don’t hesitate to consult  the Ombud’s mandate and to contact the Ombud at:ombud@cern.ch. The Ombud’s services are available to the whole CERN community, from employed members of the personnel (staff, fellows) to associate members of the personnel (users, students, other categories of associate) and all other CERN colleagues. 

I wish you a great return to work!

Laure Esteveny

I would like to hear your reactions and suggestions – join the CERN Ombud Mattermost team at https://mattermost.web.cern.ch/cern-ombud/.

Full details of the role of the CERN Ombud are available at:https://ombud.web.cern.ch/