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Home :: Ombudsperson :: Links :: Contact Frequently Asked Questions
Q. What is the Ombuds Office, and what does an ombuds do, anyway? A. The Ombuds Office is a confidential, informal, impartial, and non-adversarial alternative for the resolution of work-related problems and conflicts. We are a designated neutral in handling such issues. Q. What do you mean by conflict and what kinds of issues can you help with? A. The Ombuds Office can informally help with many issues involving many kinds of conflict in the workplace. We can provide an outside perspective on a work-related problem, or ust a confidential and informal sounding board to discuss options for handling a particular dilemma. Conflicts between co-workers, between manager and employee, or between managers involving communication problems, treatment issues, job status worries, organizational difficulties and many, many other issues of concern in the Graduate Center work environment can be confidentially discussed in this office. Q. Who can use your office? A. Along with students and faculty, any staff employee, student employee, supervisor, manager or executive can use our services. Q. What if I want to take formal action on my situation? A. You should try to resolve your concerns informally through available channels before resorting to the formal. Talking to us, however, does not preclude your using formal complaint and grievance procedures if your attempts at informal resolution don't succeed. Once an employee begins working with a representative in order to invoke a formal process, this office cannot participate, assist, or interfere. Q. What exactly do you mean by saying that the Ombuds Office is impartial—doesn't the University pay your salary? How is your office different from other CUNY offices that deal with employee issues? A. The Graduate School does pay my salary, but it established an Ombuds Office in 1993 as a campus resource for informal resolution of workplace conflicts and concerns, fully understanding that the role requires independence, impartiality, and neutrality. The Ombuds Office remains informal and neutral throughout your relationship with the office. We do not advocate for any one side, but are enthusiastic advocates for fairness, equity, justice, and humane treatment in the workplace. Q. How can I contact your office? A. Call or write: Rolf Meyersohn, Ombuds Officer Q. What does "Ombuds" mean? A. Ombud, a common word in the Swedish language, means the people's representative, agent, attorney, solicitor, deputy, proxy, or delegate. |
