What Is the Office of the Ombuds?
The Office of the Ombuds serves as a confidential, neutral and independent resource for employees at Northern Virginia Community College. The Office of the Ombuds assists employees by providing information and collaboratively developing strategies and options that address concerns or challenges in productive and positive ways. This could include providing informal conflict resolution and problem-solving services, facilitating communication and collaboration, and making appropriate referrals to other resources when necessary. Moreover, the Employee Ombuds will maintain the highest level of confidentiality and independence, as aligned with the professional standards of practice and code of ethics of the International Ombuds Association (IOA). The role supplements but does not replace existing College policies and procedures for conflict/grievance resolution. The Office of the Ombuds is not the appropriate place to receive or handle formal complaints of workplace harassment or discrimination of any kind or other violations of policies that would fall under disciplinary and/or other grievance procedures. Confiding such matters does not constitute formal or official notice to the College.
The Office of the Ombuds is designed to promote NOVA’s mission and values by providing the workforce with the resources needed to identify and address concerns informally and proactively. The Employee Ombuds does NOT advocate or promote efforts to encourage or support policy violations, insubordination or any other behavior that is contrary to the Commonwealth of Virginia Standards of Conduct, the VCCS Code of Ethics, or any state or federal law.
Who can visit the Office of the Ombuds? The Employee Ombuds is available to all faculty and staff of NOVA, from part-time to full-time staff and faculty. Yes, student workers can visit the Employee Ombuds. If you work at NOVA, the Office of the Ombuds is here for you.
How can employees make an appointment? Employees may email employeeombuds@nvcc.edu to schedule an appointment either in person or virtually. Simply leave your name, preferred contact method and options for meeting.
How is the Office of the Ombuds different from HR Employee Relations? The principle differences between HR Employee Relations and the Office of the Ombuds are the level of confidentiality and formality. The priority of the Employee Ombuds is to provide a safe, confidential space to surface all concerns an employee is facing. The Office of the Ombuds is not an office of report or record. HR Employee Relations is an office of notice and record, which has an obligation to report incidents and policy violations. In addition, Employee Relations is the office for formal processes such as grievances or progressive discipline. The Office of the Ombuds is an informal office and does not participate in these formal processes.
What type of data will you collect? Basic demographic information will be collected during the visit. The Office of the Ombuds uses this information to report on the types of conflict, as categorized by the International Ombuds Association and basic trends. At the start of a visit, the Employee Ombuds will ask how long you have been with NOVA and what type of employee you are (faculty/classified/wage). All data kept will be published in an annual report, which will be presented to the Administrative Council and made public. The Office of the Ombuds does not keep any personally identifiable information.
What should I expect when I visit the Office of the Ombuds? All visits to the Office of the Ombuds are voluntary. The meeting may be scheduled for an hour or an hour and a half. The Employee Ombuds is a trained, neutral party who, after explaining their role, will ask some initial intake questions and provide the visitor with a confidentiality statement. Afterward, you will be invited to share your concerns. The visit is an informal one-on-one conversation that does not require you to bring anything, but you are welcome to bring any documents (e.g., emails/performance evaluation) that you think would provide more context about your concern(s); however, the Employee Ombuds will not maintain a copy of such records. The Employee Ombuds will engage in the conversation in ways that are intended to help gain insight into the concern/perspective and inform you about possible options. At the conclusion of the meeting, the Employee Ombuds will offer guidance on next steps or alternative options to resolve issues and maintain a productive, safe work environment for all employees.
Is the Employee Ombuds an advocate? if not, what do you do? The Employee Ombuds serves as an organizational ombuds and practices to the standards set forth by the International Ombuds Association. The modern ombuds in higher education serves as a neutral, off-the-record resource and not as an advocate. The Employee Ombuds helps to clarify concerns, explore possible options, connect employees to resources and empower them in their next steps.
The Office of the Ombuds will illuminate key issues facing the NOVA community. As the Office of the Ombuds becomes more aware of the challenges employees are facing, the office can help magnify those issues to leadership.
International Ombuds Association Operating Principles and Guidelines:
Submitted by:
Shawn Addison, Employee Ombuds, SAddison@nvcc.edu