Investigation

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Workplace harassment in Germany (Part 2): a checklist for your workplace investigations

“We conduct investigations in line with all applicable laws and regulations.” Easy for you to say, but what does that mean in practice?  In part one, Laura Sparschuh discussed the options available to employees in Germany when reporting cases of workplace harassment. In this second article, Anna-Maria Hesse and Laura highlight what employers need to … Continue Reading

Crikey, it’s the rozzers – police involvement in your workplace investigation (UK)

Oops.  Just found an unanswered question left over from our investigations webinar and blog series earlier in the year.  Apologies if it was yours.  The question revolves around employer and investigator interactions with the Police where the subject matter of your workplace investigation is potentially criminal conduct, and is maybe best answered as a series … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 14 – closing submissions

Since most workplace investigations involve something contested, most investigation reports will disappoint one party or the other.  Indeed, since very few workplace disputes are exclusively the responsibility of one party alone, it is entirely possible if you put your mind to it that at one level or another your report will be a disappointment to … Continue Reading

“All the right notes, but not necessarily in the right order” – previewing your investigatory record-keeping requirements (UK)

Nearly 700 sign-ups for our workplace investigations webinar earlier this month gives a clear indication that this once relatively unfashionable area of HR law and practice is very much dish of the day at the moment, so from the first ten parts on this blog in December-February, now seems the time to move on to … Continue Reading

To lead or not to lead, that is the question – looking into workplace investigations, Part 9 (UK)

A great deal of the available guidance on conducting workplace investigations relates to the form of your questions of the parties involved, and in particular to whether they should be open, closed, or leading.  This is the difference between: “And what happened next?” – open, because the answer can go off in any direction; “Did … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 8 – don’t skip the opening ceremonies (UK)

Right. You have now done all the prior preparation for your investigation which you can – identified the relevant policies, noted the points you need to get at, maybe heard what the complainant wants out of it all, understood the limits of your own brief and made sure that there is no avoidable reason why … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 7 – the inclusivity imperative (UK)

The increased spotlight upon D&I matters which seems to be replacing covid as our clients’ dish of the day shines upon investigations too.  How you investigate employees’ disclosures or complaints (especially but by no means necessarily, of discrimination or harassment) can make a considerable difference as to how those employees and others sharing their protected … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 6 – preparing the statutory defence (UK)

Once you have done all the scoping out and refining of allegations you can before starting your investigation, there will come the point where you have to raise the allegations made with the people they are made against. If the allegations are false, those people will be very angry.  If they are true, they will … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 5 – seeking truth, justice or resolution? (UK)

Decades of presenting employment law training have taught me that if you ask seasoned HR audiences what they think employees usually want from a grievance, they will generally lie.  “Justice“, someone will mutter uncomfortably, or “for the truth to come out”, “a better relationship with their manager” or “to correct a wrong“, all straining every … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, part 4 – respecting the rights of bullies and harrassers (UK)

When drawing up your preliminary note of what you need to know as the product of your investigation, remember that the people being investigated have rights too.  Some we will come to later in this series, including confidentiality and a fair process, but the first and most fundamental part of a fair “trial” is knowing … Continue Reading

Looking into workplace investigations, Part 1 – what are you talking about? (UK)

Today we start a new series of posts tackling the vexed area of workplace investigations.  We will look at the background law, of which there is very little, and at best practice guidance, of which there is more than can possibly all be useful.  We will offer some examples of investigations done badly and consider … Continue Reading

EEOC Releases Proposed Rule Aimed At Improving Pre-Suit Conciliation Process (US)

On Friday, October 9, 2020, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released a proposed rule aimed at modifying the conciliation process that the agency employs prior to filing suit. When the EEOC finds reasonable cause to believe that allegations in a complainant’s charge have merit, the EEOC has the option of pursuing litigation on the … Continue Reading

NLRB Issues New Rules and Several Key Precedent-Changing Decisions (US)

The National Labor Relations Board issued a slew of precedent-changing decisions this month, as well as significant changes to its rules and regulations. These new rules and decisions will change labor law in several key ways for both union and non-union employers, including during union elections, during internal investigations, when employees seek to use work … Continue Reading
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