Ep. 9 – The Basics of a Workplace Investigation (Investigations II)
Making Work Better: Employment Law & Workplace Challenges
English - September 15, 2023 15:19 - 35 minutes - 49 MB - ★★★★★ - 7 ratingsCareers Business career management professional workplace companyculture employment humanrecource influencers smallbusiness Homepage Download Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
What would you do if an employee reported that a colleague kissed her without her permission at the company holiday party? Our attorneys say: investigate! From their experience as employment attorneys and workplace investigators, Kristen Prinz and Christina Hynes Mesco outline the nuts and bolts of conducting a workplace investigation in this episode.
Using the true-life example of the involuntary kiss, they address what to do if your employee reports harassment, including the importance of avoiding knee-jerk reactions and setting reported events in their proper context. They also touch upon documentary evidence, including electronic data, and in-person interviews. And since obtaining helpful answers often depends on how questions are phrased, Kristen and Christina offer a few helpful techniques that can be used in any conversation. They also emphasize why a trauma-informed approach is helpful when assessing the credibility of witnesses, before discussing drafting an investigation report and making recommendations to help better the business for all parties involved.
This is a must-listen episode for anyone in HR or in-house counsel, and for anyone else tasked with getting to the bottom of things in the workplace!
Stay Connected & Learn More:
Read Christina’s blog on conducting effective investigations