 As a program manager at FAO, Fred regularly meets up with colleagues, partners, and beneficiaries. Recently, Fred and his team were introduced to a new deputy FAO representative called Ken. During one of their meetings, Ken treated Fred's assistant, Alice, very badly. He interrupted her, laughed at her opinions, and insisted that Alice join him for lunch, even though she said no. Alice was very upset and told Fred that she didn't feel safe at work when Ken was around. Fred felt Ken's behavior was disrespectful towards Alice and confronted him privately about it. But Ken just laughed and told Fred he was only joking. Fred knew Alice was feeling upset and that Ken's behavior had a negative impact on the work environment. So he encouraged Alice to speak to Maya in the ethics office first, although they knew they could also speak directly with the ombuds person. But Alice was afraid that she wouldn't be taken seriously, so Fred promised to join her at the meeting. When they told Maya what had happened, she was very concerned and told them that FAO does not condone disrespectful behavior. Maya told Alice that there were two ways they could deal with the situation. They could address it informally through management intervention or through the FAO ombuds office, which offers confidential, informal, and neutral support to help resolve workplace conflicts at an early stage. Or they could make a formal report to the Office of the Inspector General so that the matter could be thoroughly investigated. Maya also assured Alice that the ethics office would help protect her if Ken tried to retaliate against the formal report. Alice decided to discuss everything with the ombuds person and the FAO representative. Through their intervention, Ken realized that while he hadn't consciously tried to hurt Alice, his behavior was inappropriate and he understood how it had affected her. Ken apologized to Alice and agreed to attend a training course to become more mindful of his actions. He said he was grateful for the chance to improve. Today, thanks to Alice's bold decision to speak up and the action taken by the FAO support services, Alice and her colleagues feel safe and respected in their work environment. Fred is glad to see Alice enjoying work again and is proud of himself for supporting her and setting a good example for his FAO colleagues to behave ethically every day in every way.