Changemakers: How Chevron Empowers its Workers to Self-Advocate

We all have things we would like to change about our jobs. But most employees (more than 66% according to research) don’t share their concerns with HR or their supervisor. Reasons range from fear of consequences to uncertainty about how to raise issues. So how can problems at work ever be addressed if employees are not comfortable speaking up?

Ask Sana Manjeshwar, head of Chevron’s global ombuds program. As an ombudsperson, or neutral advocate who assists with conflict resolution, Manjeshwar and her team help employees learn how to speak up and advocate for themselves in the workplace. Manjeshwar is also the co-chair of JFF’s recent Worker Voice Initiative series where we explored innovative ways to promote inclusion and empower worker voice.

Chevron, an American multinational energy company with operations in 52 countries and almost 43,000 employees, is one of the largest energy companies in the world. In 1992, Chevron created its corporate ombuds programs —one of the first of its kind in corporate America. It was a novel idea when companies had few formal communication tools for employees to communicate with management.

Today, companies have numerous ways of obtaining employee input like employee engagement surveys, employee resource groups, and communication tools like Slack. So why is an ombuds program still relevant? Simple—with the rising trend in “quick quitting,” today’s employees who experience difficulties at work will not necessarily wait for an annual survey or risk speaking publicly in a group meeting; instead, they just move to the next job.

Manjeshwar understands these dynamics and is reinventing Chevron’s ombuds program to meet the needs of today’s employees. And hundreds of Chevron’s employees are embracing the opportunity.

JFF’s Carey O’Connor, senior strategist, recently spoke with Manjeshwar about Chevron’s ombuds program and how she is helping employees learn how to shape their workplace to meet their needs.