Investigations

Employers have a broad responsibility to investigate workplace issues…

Do You Need To Investigate?

A workplace investigation must be conducted in a prompt, thorough, and fair manner. This is crucial because the adequacy of the investigation could be scrutinized by the EEOC, Montana Human Rights Bureau, or a Court. There are a number of different situations that can lead an employer to start an investigation. The most common are: sexual harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, violation of company policy, performance and inappropriate behavior. The type of investigation applied to each is different, but there are similarities to conducting all types of investigations.

Associated Employers’ HR Professionals conduct internal investigations with the knowledge and experience necessary to instill employer confidence -confidence in the investigation process and confidence to support appropriate action. A thorough, independent and impartial investigation demonstrates the exercise of reasonable care to prevent and correct inappropriate workplace conduct. Increasingly, society demands that employers engage in internal investigation to address alleged improprieties.

Employees also expect employers to investigate in response to complaints of harassment, discrimination, unfair treatment, and hostile work environment. Gone are the days when “he-said, she-said” controversies are dismissed out of hand as unsubstantiated. A good faith analysis of the available facts and credibility assessment is the expectation.

Remember, the main goal of conducting an investigation is to produce an objective, factual set of findings that enables management to make correct decisions and apply appropriate action. Sometimes the investigation may result in an inability to make a decision, but at least the company is shown to be proactive. Doing nothing is the worst case scenario and leaves the company with little defense in effectively countering any claims.

AE’s interviews provide individual participants with a unique opportunity to be heard by a third party, which can de-escalate emotionally charged situations while creating comprehensive documentation to support appropriate corrective action.

Take the mystery out of your employee complaints and conflict issues with an AE workplace investigation.

For information on how to get started, contact us at 406-248-6178.