Yesterday, the national daily business news program from American Public Media highlighted the work of Organizational Ombuds. Here's the lede:

When whistleblowers go to the media or lawyers, the results can be disastrous for an organization. Think of Edward Snowden and the N.S.A. And even smaller employee concerns, like discrimination lawsuits, usually cost companies hundreds of thousands of dollars. These days, more and more corporations are turning to organizational ombudsmen. They allow employees to talk about workplace issues confidentially, before things escalate.

The segment included interviews with Tim Shore, the Ombuds at Pfizer, Anamaris Cousins Price, an Ombuds at Halliburton and President of the International Ombudsman Association, and Chuck Howard, a lawyer and author of the book, "The Organizational Ombudsman: Origins, Roles, and Operations – A Legal Guide."  (APM Marketplace.)

Related Ombuds Blog posts: NPR Series On Dispute Resolution;  ABA Publishes First Book About Organizational Ombuds; Halliburton Ombuds Explains Her Work; Ombuds to Address New Jersey Association of Professional Mediators.