Special Ombuds Services

To augment or complement your ombuds office or similar capabilities when:

  • You are overloaded or understaffed, and your reputation for timely and quality response may be in jeopardy.
  • You are short a skill or specialty, which may deter visitors.
  • Your impartiality may be questioned because you are (or perceived to be) too close to the issues (e.g., company salary or benefits practices) or the individuals (e.g., former colleagues).

IOS has the high-quality, cost-effective help you can trust and rely on, delivered in conformance with the Code and Standards of the International Ombudsman Association.

Click on the items below to display more information:

Investigations, Fact-finding and Exit Interviews
Employee complaints should be investigated with speed and impartiality to help prevent a suit against the firm. A quality investigation should always involve an independent and reliable investigator who has both institutional and personal credibility to help prevent “cat’s paw” liability, which arises when a decision maker accepts the recommendation of a biased supervisor without conducting a review process using someone removed from the situation. Protecting the investigation is also critical – documents relating to the investigation should be stored in a location with very limited accessibility. Overall, the most important goal in conducting such investigations is to be even-handed. The law does not require that investigations be error free; it requires that they be independent and fair.

IOS investigative services are headed by Mike Burns, former Director of Security, Novartis, worldwide, specially credentialed to conduct international investigations.

 

Mediation and Conciliation
Our people are professionally trained in evaluative and facilitative dispute resolution processes, but what truly distinguishes them is the depth and breadth of their real-world experience in business and commerce and in the professions. Search the site or browse Our People to find the right professional for your needs.

 

Conflict Management Training (preventive and remedial)
Custom-designed and conducted by Jon Hyman (Professor of Law at Rutgers, specializing in alternative dispute resolution) and Marv Schuldiner (Director of Civil Mediation Training for the New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators).

 

Executive Coaching
Headed by Ted Gerber with over twenty-years direct experience assisting major companies in the United States and worldwide.

 

Assessments of Corporate Policies and Practices
Several of our people have held senior corporate level management positions. Warren Wood was Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the nation’s largest healthcare foundation. Ben Feigenbaum was General Counsel of a fifty-thousand employee telecommunication company, engaged in all aspects of its corporate governance and business operations. Rick Ober has over thirty years experience as a senior executive in a large financial institution. Jim Marlow (MBA, CFP), with thirty-years business experience, serves as a turnaround and interim senior executive for companies in need. Greg Libertini (MBA, CPA, CFF, ABV) has broad-based senior executive experience at large companies.