Workplace Investigations

Ever wonder what it is like to be the detective investigating a crime?  Television makes it look like such a glamorous and exciting job.  You get to question the key witness until they crack under pressure and find that needle in a haystack that breaks the case wide open (conveniently all within one hour of TV time). 

In reality, however, investigations are usually painstaking, boring tasks that involve making a lot of co-workers uncomfortable (and last days, weeks or months).  This is especially true of employers conducting workplace investigations of claims by their employees.  There is no escaping these folks after the interview.  You have to see them again every day. 

When should you conduct an investigation? Who should do it?  You?  Your lawyer?  How should you conduct the investigation?  We give these questions the third degree in this month’s edition of the Employer Handbook.