Think Piece on How Ombuds Refer to Parties in Sexual Misconduct Cases

Mediators and trainers at MWI, Chuck Doran and Megan Winkeler, have published a provocative article, “How Should Ombuds Refer to Parties in Sexual Harassment Cases?” They point out that the traditional labels, “complainant” and “respondent” or “accuser” and “accused” come from a litigation context and set the wrong tone for an Ombuds. Doran and Winkeler suggest shifting the frame from blame to impact and using “impacted” and “actor.” They are hoping for a conversation around this issue, so read the full post and let them know what you think. (MWI Blog.) 

MWI Recruits Experienced Ombuds to Expand Operations

Dana Hinojosa, CO-OP, will join MWI as Director of Strategic Engagement in June 2023. She brings a decade of Ombuds and program management experience to MWI, a global provider of outsourced Ombuds and other ADR services. This a new leadership position for MWI, which currently has three other director-level positions (Josh Hoch, Director of Mediation Services; Megan Winkeler, Director of Training & Analytics; and Diana Chiang, Director of Commercial and Corporate Programs; all of whom have Ombuds experience). MWI's Founder and Executive Director, Chuck Doran, is also recruiting a Director of Analytics & Reporting and additional Ombuds panelists. 

CVS Surprises with Fully Formed Ombuds Program

The retail corporation (currently the fourth largest publicly-traded company in the U.S.) has unveiled a full-staffed Ombuds program. On Friday, Karen Lynch, the CEO of CVS Health, removed several executives following an investigation into the handling of employee sexual harassment complaints. According to the Boston Globe, Lynch also told senior leaders on Friday that she she planned to give employees a “confidential channel” to navigate what she described as a “challenging situation.” Then, over the weekend, a website for the CVS Health Ombuds Team went live.

Cambridge Innovation Center Debuts Ombuds Program

The American real estate services company which bills itself as a "community of entrepreneurs," has created an Ombuds program. CIC was founded by Tim Rowe, the son of Mary Rowe, MIT's first Ombuds. MWI, the dispute resolution service and training firm in Boston, was selected to create the program, which will serve employees working across the U.S. and in Rotterdam, Tokyo, and Warsaw. 

IOA Releases Detailed Agenda for 2022 Virtual Conference

For the second year in a row, the International Ombudsman Association will hold its annual conference virtually. IOA's 17th annual meeting will take place April 4 through 6, 2022. Social events will use Gather.town, a virtual world with video features. Registration has been open for a few weeks and now the detailed agenda has been posted.