Tag: Harassment
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I’m feeling harassed …
I’m feeling harassed … “Harassed”. This is a word I often hear in the Ombud’s Office. Actively listening to my visitors, I explore their definition of the term and seek concrete examples of situations where they felt “harassed”. Following this discussion, we consult the definition of harassment given in CERN’s Operational Circular No. 9 (OC9),
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Be an active bystander – the four Ds
Be an active bystander – the four Ds One really important aspect of the Ombud’s role is to stay abreast of the messages that are being passed to members of personnel in internal communications and, in particular, via the Learning & Development portfolio. I recently took part in a training session, on Zoom – where
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I’ve witnessed sexual harassment, what should I do?
I’ve witnessed sexual harassment, what should I do? “My teammate has been making inappropriate advances to a young colleague. She clearly feels cornered and doesn’t dare stand up for herself. Should I do something?” This is an understandable reaction: faced with sexual harassment, we’re not sure how to react. Is it really my business? Won’t
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Harassment: when informal solutions aren’t enough
Harassment: when informal solutions aren’t enough Susan*: “My colleague has been harassing me for several months. I have tried to put things right in a friendly way with him, informally, but he won’t admit that he’s done anything wrong. What can I do?” In my article in March 2019, I explained the advantages of an
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Microaggressions: respond or let it go?
Microaggressions: respond or let it go? Tom’s farewell drink had got off to a good start and, after a few glasses, everyone was in high spirits. Carried away by the party atmosphere, Fulvio said to one of his colleagues: “So, Birgit, when are you finally going to update your wardrobe?” Birgit hesitated for a moment,
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Sexual harassment – learn to recognise the signs and take action!
Sexual harassment – learn to recognise the signs and take action! The deluge of reactions and accounts of abuse since the Weinstein affair hit the headlines has led me to reflect on a sometimes hidden problem: sexual harassment. “I had been a fellow for six months and went to a conference with my colleague. He
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Bullying in the workplace
Bullying in the workplace ‘A team of scientists heated a pan of water to a high temperature. Then they tried to put a live frog into it. The frog jumped out immediately. A second frog was put in a pan of cold water that was gradually heated to boiling. That frog never tried to jump.
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Moral harassment – are you concerned?
Moral harassment – are you concerned? Conflict happens, and in a large international organisation like ours it is often inevitable. Indeed, when it happens in the context of a confrontation of different ideas, opinions or methods it can be considered to be a healthy component of effective collaboration. Yet, when conflict becomes personal, when it
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Sexual harassment – who is concerned?
Sexual harassment – who is concerned? About one year since I last covered the topic of sexual harassment, I am returning to this theme again as it continues to be raised in the Ombud office. This trend is likely to continue as long as everyday sexism and harassment remain hidden and our workplace culture persists
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When “stop” doesn’t work
When “stop” doesn’t work In a previous Bulletin article we discussed the issue of how to deal with unwanted declarations of love. The focus there was on the importance of saying “stop” in a clear and unambiguous manner when faced with actions of this kind. But what do you do when this behaviour persists? When