About This Course:
What Does An Employee Relations Investigation Typically Cover?
An employee relations investigation typically covers workplace complaints or concerns involving violations of company policy, employment law, or professional conduct.
Investigations typically cover harassment, retaliation, bullying, theft, fraud, and abuse, and can be initiated by either the company or from an employee. The goal of the investigation is to gather facts and recommend appropriate action.
Who Handles The Complaint - And Is That Person Properly Trained?
When the time comes to handle a touchy employee issue...who do they call? HR. But is HR properly trained?
Let's face it: most HR professionals have never had formal training in how to conduct investigations. Is the time to learn when suddenly faced with having to do an investigation?
Without acquiring the proper skills in how to handle allegations in the workplace - and investigate them effectively - employees may feel their complaints are not taken seriously, so they take their complaints externally to the EEOC, DOL, or to their attorney.
No organization wants a DOL investigation, let alone a costly lawsuit that costs time, energy, and money - and than can hurt the company's reputation.
Therefore, this is a must-attend training session for HR professionals that are responsible for employee relations.What You'll Learn:
- The basics of how to gather a statement of complaint, identify witnesses, gather evidence, conduct witness interviews, and document investigative findings
- The most common types of internal investigations
- The legal obligations that require employers to conduct internal investigations
- How to gather documentary and physical evidence prior to witness interviewing
- How to establish a chain of custody and a confidential retention process
- How to prepare questions for witness interviews and select appropriate interviewing locations
- How to analyze physical, documentary, and testimonial evidence to identify policies and/or laws that have been violated
- A standard format for documenting investigative findings
- Best practices in handling disciplinary action and terminations to avoid stepping on legal land mines
Top FAQs
Employers must know the legal obligations that require them to conduct internal investigations, how to gather documentary and physical evidence, how to effectively handle witness interviews, and how to apply discipliary action or termination.
Several, including hostile or violent employees, retaliation lawsuits, state or federal repurcussions from broken laws, and affects on your workforce.
Probably the largest pitfall is the reaction of your employees, especially if the investigation is handled poorly. For instance, the company does not investigate theft allegations, tells the accused details from an accuser's accusations, and loss of profits and reputation.
Respond promptly and responsibly, assess, plan, investigate, evaluate, conclude.
An "internal" or "workplace" investigation is a formal inquiry regarding allegations of wrongdoing to determine whether laws or corporate policies have been violated.
Common law, retaliation, Assault & Battery, Defamation, Privacy, and more.
Continuing Education Credits:
Click the 'Credits' tab above for information on PHR/SPHR, PDCs, and other CE credits offered by taking this course.
