14 JULY AUGUST 2024 | THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL The State Department is committing to take prompt action on bullying reports, ensure confidentiality, and prevent retaliation. The new policy is part of a series of steps to address workplace well-being, starting with the decision to fund the Office of the Ombuds (S/O) to staff the Workplace Conflict Prevention and Resolution Center for the first time since it was created a decade ago. Another step, the Bureau of Global Talent Management’s “Focus on Accountability” initiative, discussed by Director General Marcia Bernicat in an interview with State Magazine, aims to address broader cultural and structural issues essential for fostering a professional workplace. The initiative strives to build trust in the department’s ability to hold employees accountable for their actions. State data shows that 65 percent of Foreign Service generalists, 60 percent of Foreign Service specialists, and 37 percent of Civil Service employees believe the department fails to hold employees accountable. “If you are working in a toxic environment today, and you have reported it, please trust that we are working on it by counseling, investigating, and—where appropriate—disciplining those responsible,” Bernicat told State. For more on these developments, see “Workplace Conditions at State: Change Is Coming,” by Stacy Williams, on page 16. ƚyƚ yoldier etained in Russia Army Sta Sgt. Gordon Black, 34, was arrested on May 2 in Vladivostok, Russia, for alleged theft from a woman he was visiting. Black, previously stationed at Camp Humphreys in South Korea, was supposed to travel to Fort Cavazos, Texas, but instead flew to Vladivostok for “personal reasons.” His mother revealed he went to visit a girlfriend he met in South Korea, who was deported to Russia after a dispute with him. The U.S. Army is investigating whether Black was lured to Russia by intelligence services and noted he did not have official clearance to travel. This incident occurs amid heightened U.S.-Russia tensions, with increasing arrests of Americans in Russia. Moscow is already holding journalist Evan Gershkovich, Paul Whelan, and Marc Fogel, formerly a teacher at the Anglo-American School of Moscow. 1aŇa pdate U.N. sta member Waibhav Anil Kale, 46, was killed while traveling in a marked U.N. vehicle from Rafah to the European Hospital in Khan Younis on May 13. Kale, an Indian national and U.N. security service coordinator in Gaza, was the first international U.N. casualty since the conflict began on Oct. 7. The Israeli Defense Forces stated that they were not informed of the vehicle’s route, while the U.N. deputy spokesperson confirmed that all convoy movements are communicated to Israel. The incident is under investigation. Kale’s death adds to the 191 U.N. workers killed in Gaza since Oct. 7, almost all of whom were Palestinians. U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres called for a humanitarian cease-fire and the release of all hostages. The incident occurred shortly after a State Department report suggested that Israel may have violated international law in its Gaza campaign. The 46-page unclassified report was ordered by President Joe Biden under a new This online platform aims to educate enrollees on emerging technologies, their commercialization, and the associated foreign policy risks and opportunities. The State Department will use it to train officials in public diplomacy and cyber and digital technology. The Krach Institute was founded in 2021 by two former State Department officials: Keith Krach, former under secretary of State for economic growth, and Mung Chiang, former science and technology adviser to the Secretary of State. State Department’s Anti-Bullying Policy On March 26, the State Department announced a comprehensive policy to ensure a respectful, civil, and professional environment for all its employees. The anti-bullying policy, spelled out in 3 FAM 1540, applies to all Foreign Service and Civil Service employees, including paid family members and locally employed (LE) staff. Supervisors must address and prevent bullying, holding violators accountable. Under the policy, bullying includes any significant incident or pattern of behavior not related to EEO protected classes that creates an intimidating, hostile, or abusive work environment. Examples of such conduct include physical intimidation, personal space invasion, repeated interruptions, derogatory remarks, personal insults, exclusion from necessary communication, and interference with personal property. In accordance with the policy, employees should report bullying to their chain of command or appropriate officials. In cases of immediate threats, employees should contact law enforcement or security personnel.
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