“Virtue ethics provides managers and business leaders with an opportunity to ask themselves what kind of people they become through their actions and how their decisions impact the lives of others.

Good ethics start with you. It is similar to the CERN Code of Conduct: such a code is not designed to remind us to be in agreement with its values, but rather it is intended to remind us that we should first apply it to ourselves. Why is this in our interest?

Although around a hundred cases a year are reported to the Ombuds, several issues may still not be disclosed due to employee silence*.

Most people that seek help from the Ombuds just want that their dispute ended, so they can get back to work in normal, respectful conditions. They clearly express it when I ask them what they want: “I want it to stop!” How should it stop? And who should stop it?       

Over the past two years, the Ombuds has seen double the number of cases involving women staff members compared to those involving men, relative to their populations. Two questions can thus be asked: is that a general phenomenon also seen in other organizations?

Just the word “telecommuter” is enough to make many managers start to sweat. When faced with the prospect of managing an employee they cannot even see, basic managerial knowledge often becomes hazy, resulting in a confusing arrangement for both manager and employee.

Mediation is a structured process in which an external party, called a mediator, helps participants generate and evaluate options that would allow them to reach a mutual agreement. It is an informal and confidential process.

“I hope that the Code of Conduct will be a valuable tool in the maintenance and development of a workplace marked by mutual respect and understanding. We should familiarize ourselves with it, and incorporate it into our daily life at CERN.”*

In any institution, conflicts are inevitable. They can, however, offer an opportunity for a positive resolution.

“True leadership, not to be confused with dictatorship, does not take away an individual's freedom, choice, accountability, or responsibility.