Analysing “He said, She said” Evidence with a Trauma-Informed Lens
In almost every investigation class, we hear the classic question: what do you do with a “he said, she said”? The reason for this is that most learners have had…
Racial Discrimination at Work
Natasha Kennedy-Read and Vince Scopelliti – Wednesday, February 05, 2020 We are all familiar with the more obvious signs of workplace discrimination; but with targeted racism and xenophobia spreading faster than the Coronavirus, it is vital to be aware of the more nuanced and subtle acts of discrimination at work. Queensland has seen MP Duncan […]
Making Findings in Workplace Investigations
When a workplace investigation is coming to an end, one task can seem deceptively simple – making findings. It might seem that because all the information is now available, the investigator can surely just state ‘the obvious’ in their report. Yet as with most tasks in the investigative process, quality outcomes require much greater consideration […]
Writing an Investigation Report
To say that a workplace investigation report is an important document is certainly something of an understatement. Following the investigation, the report will be relied upon for all manner of significant organisational decisions, tasks and action. As a result, it is essential that workplace investigators create a professional, transparent and unbiased document. ONE REPORT, MANY […]
Interview Techniques for Workplace Investigations
In any workplace investigation, there will be multiple competing factors for an investigator to consider. One core issue is developing the appropriate interview strategy. Investigative interviewing requires careful consideration of the purpose of the investigation, and exactly who will be interviewed. There is also the question of tone – ensuring that the interview remains cordial […]
How to Write Letters of Notification and Allegation
During the process of conducting workplace investigations, it is generally necessary to prepare letters of notification, and later, letters of allegation. We take a look at the difference between the two, and provide some tips on how to prepare these important documents. notifying the parties involved The letter of notification serves as confirmation that an […]
Receiving Workplace Complaints
Employers should be well aware of the legal and associated requirements that come into play when someone in the workplace raises their hand with a grievance. Complaints about unacceptable and/or inappropriate behaviour can arise from any work area, and in regard to a wide variety of issues. Grievance handling needs to be fair and consistent […]
Uncovering the Steps of an Effective Investigation Process
For many employers, a workplace investigation process can appear quite challenging to navigate. Questions around the actual subject of the investigation, and who is best qualified to carry out this important task, can immediately arise. The investigation process itself is characterised by a number of important processes that are designed to reduce the risk of […]
Social Media Misconduct: The Need for a Fair Investigation
An ever-increasing key dilemma for employers in the modern age is how to deal with the misconduct by staff through their use of social media platforms. The list of potentially offending conduct is lengthy. For example, staff might call in sick but then post details of their activities on social media. Employees could post inappropriate, […]
How to Deal with an Uncooperative Respondent
When conducting investigations in the workplace, senior staff and human resource managers often have to deal with uncooperative respondents. Understandably, this can significantly hamper the progress of the investigation. WHat is an uncooperative respondent There are many ways in which the smooth running of an investigation can be negatively affected by an uncooperative respondent. This […]