Q.
What is the Staff Ombuds Office, and how does it differ from other
offices that deal with employee issues on campus?
A.
The Staff Ombuds Office is a confidential,
informal, impartial, and non-adversarial alternative for the
resolution of work-related problems and conflicts. Once an employee
initiates a formal process, we no longer participate. (see
Our
Role)
Q.
What kinds of issues can you help with?
A.
We can help with many types of problems in the workplace. We can
provide an outside perspective on a work-related issue, or just a
confidential
and informal sounding board to discuss options for handling a
particular dilemma. Conflicts between co-workers or between managers
and employees involving communication, treatment, job status, and
many other work concerns can be confidentially discussed in this
office.
Q. Who
can use your office?
A.
ANY person working in a staff position, supervisors, managers, and
executives (including deans, department chairs, and directors), and
certain non-Senate academics can use our office.
Q.
What else does the Staff Ombuds Office do?
A
We offer a variety of services. In addition to individual
consultation, assessment, and referral, we provide group conflict
resolution, mediation,
coaching, facilitation for both individuals and groups, communication
skills training, conflict management classes,
and special workshops by arrangement.
Q.
What if I want to take formal action on my situation?
A.
We encourage and coach visitors to resolve concerns informally.
Talking to us, however, does not preclude your using formal complaint
grievance procedures and does not extend the time lines for filing a
formal complaint.
Q.
What exactly do you mean by saying that the Staff Ombuds Office is
impartial---doesn't the University pay your salaries?
A.The
University does pay our salaries, but established a Staff Ombuds
Office in 1984 as a campus resource for informal resolution of
workplace conflicts and concerns fully understanding that the role
requires confidentiality,
independence, impartiality, and neutrality. (See The
Ombudsman Association
- Standards of Practice and Ethical Principles For University and
College Ombudspersons.) We promote fairness, equity, justice, and
humane treatment in the workplace.
Q. How
do I get time off to use your services?
A.
As with any other leave, you need to ask for the time away if you
come here during your regular work hours. Supervisors have the
authority to grant administrative leave for you to come here, but if
you don’t want anyone to know you may want to consider using
your own time (vacation leave), or arrange an appointment at a time
that doesn’t interfere with your work schedule.
Please call 642-7823 if you have questions not addressed in this website.
Staff Ombuds is a unit of Administration at the University of California at Berkeley.