The Drama-Free Workplace

11 How to Effectively Investigate and Resolve Claims of  Workplace Misconduct

Over the past few decades, organizations have embraced the need to receive, investigate, and resolve complaints of workplace misconduct. Unfortunately, despite all the attention placed on the importance of setting up ways to look into employee concerns, most companies still rely on antiquated systems. In many instances, investigations have become nothing more than obligatory exercises, meant to show that the organization took action, even if only to check the “There, we did it” box.

This is a huge missed opportunity since the failure to welcome reports, investigate complaints, and resolve those complaints is a leading cause of workplace drama.

The truth is that conducting investigations is hard work, but it is well worth the effort. The work involves following a number of general guidelines and establishing a set process, but injecting flexibility and independence since no two investigations are the same.

To top it off, the work is emotional. The parties making allegations (I’ll call them complainants) are often upset or even distraught. The parties who are accused of wrongdoing (I’ll call them the accused) often deny the allegations and feel hurt and insulted by them. Coworkers sometimes want to get involved, but oftentimes they are reluctant to do so.

An investigator is therefore given a tall order: To perform unbiased, complete work that will help address everyone’s concerns and to do so in a way ...