The Office of the Ombudsman promotes the early identification and resolution of issues in

order to promote the morale and productivity of the Department of Energy federal workforce.
The Office of the Ombudsman provides the federal workforce with a confidential, independent,
informal, and neutral alternative to address ANY workplace issue. The Office provides
ombudsman services to employees, supervisors, and management personnel of the Departments
federal workforce regarding work-related concerns. In cases where a process exists for
addressing a concern, the Office refers the person to that process. In cases where another process
does not exist, the Office serves as an innovative resolution practitioner, utilizing generally
accepted ombudsman techniques. The Office proactively identifies areas of concern or those of a
systemic nature and makes recommendations on how they can be best addressed.

The Office is a resource for informal dispute resolution only and does not participate in any
internal or external formal process. The Office does not investigate, arbitrate or adjudicate or
replace any appeal process.

The Department of Energys Office of the Ombudsman is an independent, impartial, informal

and confidential resource. To ensure that DOE senior leadership is informed of significant
workplace issues, the Office of the Ombudsman will have full access to the Secretary and other
senior DOE officials.

Contents
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1 Services
2 Example issues
3 Contractors
4 Contact
5 Announcement
6 Chief of Staff Emails
o 6.1 2016 Annual Ombudsman Message
o 6.2 2015 Annual Ombudsman Message
7 Related
8 External links
9 References

Services[edit]
Serves as a forum and resource to identify and resolve matters affecting morale and
productivity that do not fall within existing processes.
Develops innovative programs and benchmarks against other ombudsman programs.
Promotes understanding of existing processes for resolving disputes; advocates
alternative dispute resolution; and identifies systemic problems and proposes strategies
for improvement.
one-on-one coaching to best address issues/concerns Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt,
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 intermediary service between two or more individuals that are reluctant to hold direct
discussions Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt,
facilitated discussions with peers or supervisors Font color: Auto
organizational consults
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team building and group support
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elevation of systemic issues to Senior Leadership
referrals to other resolution services. Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt,
Interfaces with other offices: coordinates activities with the Office of the Chief Human Font color: Auto
Capital Officer, the Office of Health, Safety, and Security, the Office of the General Formatted: Font: (Default) Times New Roman, 12 pt,
Counsel, and other offices. Font color: Auto
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Issues periodic reports that include statistical information on contacts with the Office Font color: Auto
while maintaining confidentiality of the information; identifies patterns and trends affecting Formatted: No bullets or numbering
productivity, morale and the workplace; and makes recommendations for improvement.

Example issues[edit]
Examples of issues that can be raised to the Ombudsman are:

Strategies for preventing, managing, and resolving unwarranted distractions in the

workplace involving managers, supervisors, and/or fellow employees;
Office morale, culture, or organizational climate;
Getting teams and individuals focused on organizational mission; and
Employee engagement.
working relationships between employees or between employees and managers, as
requested by either an employee or manager;
relationships between organizations within DOE, such as between program offices and
staff offices;
concerns regarding services provided by another office in the Department, such as
Human Capital or Office of Management;
helping employees understand options available to resolve concerns as soon as possible
when conflicts or issues arise

Contractors[edit]
The Office of Ombudsman does not handle DOE contractor employee issues. These are managed
through separate processes.

Contact[edit]
This service is considered to be informal it is not generally governed by written rules
and legal timeframes. Contact with the Office of the Ombudsman does not forestall
established timeframes within DOE formal processes, nor does it constitute legal
notice to DOE or official notice to initiate a formal process.
Contact the Office of the Ombudsman at ombudsman@hq.doe.gov or at (202) 586-0500, or stop
by the Office at 1G-053.

Announcement[edit]
As part of the Secretarys continuing commitment to promoting a positive work environment, the
Secretary has launched the Office of the Ombudsman, which gives employees another avenue to
express themselves, while contributing to their overall satisfaction and wellness. [1]

The creation of the Ombudsman, which was effective on March 6, 2012, fills a niche for federal
headquarters and field employees who want to speak with a neutral, independent DOE official
about workplace issues in a confidential environment. Examples of issues that can be raised to
the Ombudsman are:[1]

working relationships between employees or between employees and managers, as

requested by either an employee or manager;
relationships between organizations within DOE, such as between program offices and
staff offices;
concerns regarding services provided by another office in the Department, such as
Human Capital or Office of Management; and
helping employees understand options available to resolve concerns as soon as possible
when conflicts or issues arise.

The Secretary has appointed Rita R. Franklin as the Director of the new office. For the last five
years, Ms. Franklin has served as the Deputy Chief Human Capital Officer and brings a wealth
of knowledge and experience to the position.[1]

The Office of the Ombudsman will help ensure that issues that fall within existing processes are
properly directed. Where no process exists to handle a matter, the Office will provide innovative
resolution services. The Office will also identify systemic issues that need senior management
attention and work with appropriate offices to resolve those issues. To ensure that DOE senior
leadership is informed of significant workplace issues, the Office of the Ombudsman will have
full access to the Secretary and other senior DOE officials.[1] The Office of the Ombudsman
supports the DOE Strategic Goal of Management and Operational Excellence.

The Office of the Ombudsman is located in the Forrestal Building, Room 1G-053. Contact the
Office at (202) 586-0500, ombudsman@hq.doe.gov or http://energy.gov/ombudsman. The
website will include a DOE employee resource manual, which also can be found at Employee
Resource Guide.[1]