Yesterday, we looked at 5 tips for conducting an effective sexual harassment investigation. Today, 4 more — plus an introduction to an in-depth investigations webinar next week, specifically for California employers.
[Click here for yesterday’s tips]
6. Communicate your findings to both the employee and the alleged harasser and provide them with the opportunity to respond
7. Record your findings in the personnel files of both parties
8. If sexual harassment is found, take prompt action against the harasser as prescribed under the company’s disciplinary policy (consult with an attorney before terminating the harasser’s employment – you may risk a charge of wrongful discharge otherwise)
9. Take measures to ensure that no additional harassment or retaliation occurs against the employee or any employee who participated in the investigation
Employee Complaints: How To Conduct Effective, Legal Internal Investigations
Whether an employee comes to you with a seemingly small gripe, or a Complaint-with-a-capital-C (harassment-related or otherwise), you’re legally required to look into it — promptly and thoroughly.
Unfortunately, it’s all too easy to jump into an investigation and get it wrong. And that just compounds your problems, increasing your risk of both bias allegations and claims of illegal retaliation.
You need to be prepared now, before the investigation, so that you’re ready to respond appropriately when the next complainant walks through your door.
Join us on September 1 — next Thursday! – for an in-depth webinar, specifically for California employers, on how to conduct an effective, legal internal investigation from start to finish. You’ll learn:
- The very first thing you should do when an employee comes to you with a complaint or allegation
- How to determine exactly how much investigation is needed in a given situation
- Whether or not you should consider taking interim action during the investigation, before you’ve reached your final conclusions
- How to choose an effective, impartial investigator
- Why it’s important to clearly identify your areas of inquiry before the investigation ever starts
- Practical tips for conducting interviews that truly get to the bottom of things
- What to say when an interviewee asks for “complete confidentiality”
- How to resolve conflicting “he said/she said” accounts
- The steps you should take to assimilate your information, come to an informed conclusion, and bring the investigation to a close
- Tactics for discipline and post-investigation followup
- How to create documentation that will hold up in court — and strategies for staying out of court in the first place
Sign up today! Can’t make it on Thursday? Order the CD and learn at your leisure.
Download your free copy of Training Your New Supervisors: 11 Practical Lessons for Employers today!