Workplace investigations: another critical duty in your HR hat

As an HR professional, one of your many duties may include conducting a thorough investigation into various issues that arise in the workplace. Whether the issue involves a claim of harassment, a claim of discrimination or a claim workplace misconduct, it is critical that you take steps to conduct a thorough investigation by interviewing all the necessary witnesses, documenting your steps and gathering the necessary information and documentation to support the company’s decision. This article will assist you with walking through that process.

Don’t wait long

When you learn of an issue, you want to start the investigation immediately. There are several benefits to doing so. First, it helps to preserve the evidence. For instance, when you quickly interview witnesses about the issue, their memories and recollections should be fresher, which will lead to more accurate information. The longer you wait to begin the investigation, you increase the chances of memories and recollections beginning to fade.

Second, quickly beginning the investigation allows you to gather documents or video recordings before that evidence is mistakenly misplaced or deleted through an automatic deletion program.