Ombuds Services
CMMA Ombuds Services provides external ombuds services to organizations in any field, including colleges, universities, and businesses. We help address workplace concerns early, confidentially, and informally before they escalate to formal complaints or lawsuits. We also report anonymized data to leadership to help surface areas of concern.
Program Structure
CMMA dedicates specific days or portions of days to each client, during which visitors (employees, faculty, staff, and students, as applicable) can schedule appointments. CMMA also provides anonymized quarterly usage reports to leadership. The above description is a typical arrangement, but CMMA can tailor the program to the needs of the client.
Benefits
Provide a confidential, independent, informal and safe resource for visitors to share concerns and understand their options without fear of retaliation
Present an alternative to formal dispute resolution channels
Facilitate discussions to resolve workplace issues
Serve as a central information resource for policies and processes within the organization
Address many concerns before they escalate into formal complaints
Alert leadership to issues that leadership would otherwise remain unaware of
Support culture, morale and retention by making organization more conflict competent
Key Principles
Ombuds services are guided by four key principles. Confidentiality ensures that all discussions remain private unless the visitor grants permission or there is an imminent risk of serious harm. Impartiality guarantees that Ombuds remain neutral, refraining from taking sides or advocating for any individual. Operating with informality, Ombuds avoid formal organizational processes, do not investigate or adjudicate complaints, keep records, or act as witnesses. Lastly, independence allows Ombuds to work separately from organizational departments, creating a safe space for visitors to share concerns without fear of retaliation.