WHEN SHOULD INVESTIGATIONS ARISE IN THE WORKPLACE? Many different problems can lead an employer to start an investigation.Here are some common reasons why companies investigate employees or situations: 1 substance abuse 2 discrimination complaints 3 harassment complaints 4 threats against others 5 vandalism and other sabotage 6 violations of work rules 7 safety problems 8 workplace theft Naturally, each type of problem demands its own methods of investigation. However, certain common threads run through each type of investigation situation. The investigator must be knowledgeable about employment laws, must uphold the privacy rights of employees and others must conduct a thorough investigation, but without letting it drag on too long; must be objective; and must keep his or her mind on the ultimate goal of any investigation, i.e., discovering the underlying reasons for the problem so that management can take corrective action. Many laws in the area of employee relations effectively require employers to undertake investigations in order to meet their obligations under the laws. The general duty of any employer who either knows or should know about a discrimination, harassment, threat, or safety problem faced by an employee is to take prompt and effective remedial action to put an end to the problem. In order to know what action to take, or to find out whether action is even necessary, the employer has to investigate the situation and ascertain the facts. Employers that fail to investigate such situations usually lose any claims or lawsuits brought by the employee in response to the problem.
Posted on: Mon, 01 Sep 2014 08:07:33 +0000
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