Overview:

When an employer receives an allegation of workplace harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct, conducting an internal investigation is often a legal obligation. Those compliance obligations require that investigations are thorough, objective, and professional.

However, whether the investigation, from fact-finding to writing reports, defends the company and limits your legal liability or blows up into an incredible, embarrassing mess (that incurs even greater liability) may depend largely upon HOW the investigation is conducted.

An investigation's purpose is to gather the facts, take appropriate action and then if warranted, take such action that a further incident is avoidable or becomes less likely. An employer is also responsible for preventing and/or handling retaliation towards those making complaints or serving as witnesses in an investigation.

Learning from mistakes in performing investigations can quickly become a costly training lesson for a company. Also at cause for concern is failing to keep up with new practices such as the NLRB July 2012 decision concerning "blanket rules" that prohibit employees from discussing ongoing investigations.

Why should you attend: When a complaint is received, regardless of from whom, or how, the employer has been put on notice that there may be a problem. However there are also many types of workplace investigations that never start with a complaint. Many companies don't have a person who does investigations as their job and so the few persons who are pressed into service as investigators certainly don't look forward to doing an investigation, may not be trained, and may not do enough.

Investigations can uncover unexpectedly ugly aspects of people and/or even of the company so untrained investigators may not do nearly enough to uncover the problem, be easily dissuaded from doing anything at all or not protect complainants and witnesses from being retaliated against.

This webinar will not only cover current best practices in investigations, it will cover common mistakes including failing to plan which is an often overlooked aspect of internal investigations.

Areas Covered in the Session:

• Taking complaints.
• Investigatory best practice policies, procedures and protocols to have in place.
• Interviewing witnesses, including uncooperative or angry ones.
• How to handle physical, testimonial and documentary evidence.
• Best practices in writing investigative reports.
• Preventing and handling gossip, retaliation and interference.
• Indicators of professional investigations.

Who Will Benefit:

• HR Generalists
• HR Managers
• Plant Managers
• Management
• Business Owners