What to Expect During a Workplace Misconduct Investigation
From fraud and bribery, to bullying and harassment, to substance use and other policy violations, workplace misconduct comes in many forms and is, unfortunately, not an uncommon issue. A recent survey revealed almost half of office workers experience workplace misconduct as often as at least once a month, and 75 percent of U.S. office workers have witnessed some form of office misconduct in their career.
Workplace misconduct investigations have the potential to be costly or result in legal action. For most employees, whether they are the subject of the investigation or asked to serve as a witness, investigations of this nature can be scary. It’s critical investigations be handled carefully as well as compliantly for the best possible outcomes.
In Part 1 of this article series, we explored an accusation scenario that could occur in the workplace. In this article, we will take a look at Fahrenheit’s investigation process, so if you need to proceed with a workplace misconduct investigation you know what to expect.
INVESTIGATION STEPS
Step #1: Gather information
We want to learn about you, including: What is your company history? What is your company culture? What is the allegation of workplace misconduct? What are your workplace policies?
Step #2: conduct meetings
We meet with individuals most likely to have information about what has occurred. Before every meeting, we remind witnesses they are protected against retaliation for their participation. We understand these meetings can be stressful and do our best to make employee witnesses comfortable. Because our goal is to gather information, our questions are open-ended.
Step #3: review documents
If provided, we review any relevant emails, texts, or other documents that have been provided by witnesses or by the organization. We understand these documents are confidential and may be proprietary to your business. Fahrenheit’s own practices and policies ensure such data is secure and protected at all times — you can be confident your information is safe with us.
step #4: review policies and laws
Once we’ve gathered all of the facts, we’ll carefully conduct research to determine whether there have been any actions that potentially violate state or federal laws or your own employment policies.
Step #5: provide recommendations
Our investigators provide a detailed written report with our findings. We summarize the methodology used, our conversations with employee witnesses, any policies and laws that were considered, and our findings. We also make recommendations about possible interventions or solutions we think will be helpful to your organization as you move forward. Solutions may include corrective action for employees, policy updates, coaching or counseling, mediation, training, or other enhancements to your HR programs.
Summing it all up
Workplace misconduct investigations have the potential to be costly or result in legal action. For most employees, whether they are the subject of the investigation or asked to serve as a witness, investigations of this nature can be scary. It’s critical investigations be handled carefully as well as compliantly for the best possible outcomes.
At Fahrenheit, we understand the complexities of workplace misconduct investigations and will ensure that careful steps are taken to put you and your employees at ease at every step. Our investigators stay current on frequent changes in employment laws and regulations, giving you confidence our recommendations will withstand legal and regulatory scrutiny. Our top priority is conducting a thorough and confidential investigation that helps you make the best decisions going forward, minimizing workplace disruption and protecting your organization now and into the future.
VIEW FAHRENHEIT ADVISORS WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION CAPABILITIES
About the author
Leigh Archer is a strategic human resource professional focused on connecting culture and employee engagement with practical policies and procedures. Connect with Leigh on Linkedin.
