The Ombuds Blog: Seattle Mayor Considering Ombuds for Sexual Harassment

June 04, 2018

Seattle Mayor Considering Ombuds for Sexual Harassment

In response to a demonstration by city employees, Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan says she will consider hiring an Ombudsperson to handle discrimination and sexual harassment complaints. Seattle Silence Breakers, a group of city staff concerned about workplace sexual and racial harassment first asked Durkan to appoint an Ombuds in April. Mayor Durkan met with the group last week and promised to, “give it deep thought.” (KUOW News.)

Related posts: Ombuds Gather in Seattle for Annual Conference; IOA Video Promotes Ombuds for Surfacing & Addressing Sexual Misconduct.

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Organizational Ombuds

Organizational Ombuds serve as a confidential, independent, neutral and informal dispute resolution resource for a specific entity. They are accessible to a defined population and can advocate for fairness. These unique characteristics distinguish Organizational Ombuds from Classical Ombuds, mediators, arbitrators, and other alternative dispute resolution professionals. The term "Ombuds" is shorthand for "Ombudsman," "Ombudsperson" and "Ombuds Officer," which also are used widely.

Some other variants include:

Austria -- Ombudsstelle

Brazil -- Ouvidor

Croatia -- pravobranitelji

France -- médiateur/defénseur

Germany -- Ombudspersonen

Italy -- difensore

Netherlands -- ombudspersoon

Norway -- ombudet

Poland -- Rzecznik

Portugal -- provedor

Russia -- омбудсмен

Spain -- ombudsman organizacional

Sweden -- studentombud

Switzerland -- ombudsmann

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June 04, 2018

Seattle Mayor Considering Ombuds for Sexual Harassment

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