It’s quite common for visitors to share their concerns about colleagues with me: around one third of the people who come to see me do so to talk about colleagues who are struggling.

“I’m worried about a colleague from another group. She hasn’t been herself lately. She told me about tensions at work and I can tell she’s not doing well.” Or: “Two members of my team don’t get along anymore. They’ve both come to me to talk about it, and lately things seem to be escalating.”

When we’re worried about someone, we may also feel anxious, uncertain or powerless. Compassion helps us move beyond those feelings. It involves acknowledging another person’s suffering, being touched by it and responding with kindness to help them find the support they need.

That’s why I’m compelled to sing the praises of compassion as a valuable psychosocial skill, and why I’m grateful to those who take the time, in conversation with the Ombud, to seek out the right support for their situation.

If you have a concern, are experiencing a conflict or are facing any other difficulty at work that is affecting you or others, please get in touch with the CERN Ombud right away.

Discussions with the Ombud are voluntary, informal, non-judgemental and confidential.

Thank you for reading, and see you soon,

Marie-Luce Falipou

The Ombud is available in Office 500/1-004 on the Meyrin site. To make an appointment, in person or online, contact the Ombud at ombuds@cern.ch

To find out more, visit ombuds.web.cern.ch