I recently presented the 2017 Ombuds Report to the CERN Management, and then to TREF, and I would like to outline the main points for you here.

Jane* is a discreet administrative assistant who has worked for the same group leader for more than ten years. She has an administrative secretarial background, knows all the ins and outs of CERN administration very well, and has built up a strong network within the Organization. 

Wednesday, 4 July: it’s summer, the days are long, it’s warm and sunny. Marc, Kevin, Miguel, Nicolas and Thomas¹, five colleagues from CERN, decide to go to the Bains des Pâquis in Geneva to relax after work.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that respectful behaviour has beneficial effects within organisations; in practice, however, it’s sometimes difficult to make it the norm. 

“The best times are when Bjorn* is absent. Only then do we get a break from having to walk on eggshells all the time.”

An ancient book in the CERN library captivated two scientists. It told of a place at the end of the world, where the sky touched the earth and they would find the answer to all their questions.

This stereotype is often trotted out to explain the lack of equality between men and women in the world of business, but recent research completely disproves it.

Martina¹ comes to see me, rather put out: “My boss has landed me with a “fair²”. I’ve had it now!”

“My supervisor is getting angry more and more often: he loses his temper with us, shouts at us and throws things across the room,” Dimitri*, a CERN fellow, tells me.

Vanja and Marek are no longer on speaking terms. Vanja took over the group six months ago and has been working to make the service more customer-oriented. But Marek thinks the most important thing is technical excellence