New focus on equal opportunities

25 February 2009

Doris Chromek-Burckhart, smiling about the beam events here, is the new CERN Equal Opportunties Officer


Doris Chromek-Burckhart of ATLAS has accepted the duties of Equal Opportunities Officer (EOO) for the 2009 term. Last fall, she was approached by the head of Human Resources about possibly taking on this role.  After some discussion with Rolf-Dieter Heuer, she says: “I then happily accepted the position with the agreement of my group leader and my ATLAS team leader.”

The position is part-time, so Doris will continue with her work on ATLAS through the term. “You will certainly find me running shifts in the ACR,” she says.

As EOO, she will work with the Equal Opportunities Advisory Panel (EOAP) to advise and monitor CERN management and staff, making certain that everyone consistently applies CERN’s Equal Opportunities policy.  This policy is founded on four pillars:

-in recruitment and career development, the Organisation will not discriminate against any applicant or employee on the grounds of sex, ethnic origin, disability, sexual orientation, religion, nationality or age;

-respect and dignity for all in the workplace;

-support for working parents;

-work-life balance.

The most important part of the job, in Doris’s eyes, is: “being active in investigating and understanding the needs of the people who are working in the organisation in respect to equal opportunities.” She also stresses the importance that everyone in the workplace is treated with dignity and respect.

Naturally, part of the job entails keeping track of hiring and advancement of individuals, particularly those of racial minorities and women. Doris’s main long-term goal is ensuring that CERN is keeping pace with gains for equal opportunities in member-states where these issues are more advanced. She’s also looking around Geneva at international groups like the World Health Organisation and the International Labour Organisation.

“I am glad to say that the EOO and the EOAP have been asked by the Director General to review the concept of the Equal Opportunities body at CERN this year,” says Doris. “This is both a responsibility and it is a chance.”

CERN aims to introduce a code of conduct or ethics, formalising our standards for respectful behaviour, which will be applicable for everyone working on the CERN site. “The idea of equal opportunities for everyone is not fully realised in the day to day life at CERN and everyone should continue to help creating awareness,” she says.

The EOO and EOAP members also serve to mediate harassment complaints of all kinds. Help is provided in confidential discussion and, with the agreement of everyone involved, through mediation. Some cases lead to conducting formal investigations, and their conclusions are reported to the DG.

Amongst other activities, Doris wants to follow-up on efforts to see that CERN users and staff have access to childcare. 

“The EOAP team, with Tim Smith as the new chair, is very motivated, and Tim is a great supporter,” says Doris. She was also encouraged that Rolf Heuer mentioned equal opportunities in his January 12th presentation, outlining his management strategy and goals. The DG’s new message on the Equal Opportunities web pages demonstrates his determination.  As Markus Nordberg is a very active member of the EOAP, we have another ATLAS collaborator to help CERN advancing in Equal Opportunities Matters.

Doris and the EOAP recognise that their plans are ambitious, especially considering the relatively small amount of time officially allotted to this work. “We are in the fortunate position to stand on two legs: We have a driving force with a motivated team, and we have the support of the management.”

Katie McAlpine

ATLAS e-News