Code of Ethics | Staff Ombuds Office

The Staff Ombuds Office abides by the International Ombuds Association Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics and the Declaration of Best Practices for UC Ombuds Offices including:

Confidentiality

Information shared and conversations conducted with the Staff Ombuds Office are strictly confidential. We will not identify you or discuss your particular concerns with anyone unless you give us expressed permission to do so. The only exception to confidentiality occurs when we believe that disclosure is necessary to address an imminent risk of serious harm to you or someone else. Communications made to the ombudsperson do not place the University on notice.

Impartiality

The Staff Ombuds Office is neutral, impartial, and unaligned in the handling of conflicts, disputes or issues. In practice, this means that the ombudsperson will not take sides in a conflict or dispute, nor will the ombudsperson favor one person over another. The ombudsperson does not have the authority to order anyone to do or not do anything; nor does the ombudsperson judge, discipline, or reward anyone. The ombudspersons have no personal stake in the outcome of any situation. The Staff Ombuds Office is obligated to responsibly consider all the legitimate concerns and interests of all individuals affected by the matter under discussion.

Informality

The Staff Ombuds Office assists individuals in resolving conflicts at informal levels and is independent from formal compliance and complaint resources. While Ombuds may refer individuals to these formal resources, Ombuds do not participate in any internal or external investigations or adjudicative procedures. Once an employee moves forward with a formal process, the Staff Ombuds Office will not work with the employee on the substance* of the underlying complaint for the duration of the formal process. Use of the Staff Ombuds Office is voluntary. After a formal process has concluded, the Staff Ombuds Office may help employees explore informal problem-solving strategies.

* Please note that if an employee has concerns about the formal campus complaint process itself, the Staff Ombuds Office can serve as a resource to help employees find solutions to resolving procedural problems during the formal complaint process.

Independence

The Staff Ombuds Office is independent from other university entities or authorities. The Ombuds Office reports to the Associate Chancellor for administrative purposes only and does not report on the substance of individual cases or concerns.