Workplace investigations are among the most unpleasant tasks an organization's HR is required to carry out. Workplace investigations are carried out for a number of reasons; yet, HR should keep its equanimity and objectivity in conducting workplace investigations, no matter for what reason they are required to do so, and no matter how grave the nature of the investigation is.

1. HOW DO ORGANIZATIONS CARRY OUT
WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS
EFFECTIVELY?

2. Workplace investigations are among the most
unpleasant tasks an organization's HR is
required to carry out. Workplace investigations
are carried out for a number of reasons; yet, HR
should keep its equanimity and objectivity in
conducting workplace investigations, no matter
for what reason they are required to do so, and
no matter how grave the nature of the
investigation is.

3. WORKPLACE INVESTIGATION

4. An HR workplace investigation may need to
be carried out on any area relating to work. It
could be of any employee, ranging from the
sub staff to the highest levels. The problem
for HR is that workplace investigations can
happen over too many issues and aspects.
They could range from indiscipline to
absenteeism to fraud to sexual harassment.
HR has to be prepared for any type of
workplace investigation cases that come to
it.

5. A FEW RULES FOR HR IN CARRYING OUT
WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS
Irrespective of the kind of case that comes to
it for workplace investigations, HR has to
apply a few principles and methods of
approaching them.

6. SOME OF THE RULES FOR THE PROPER
CONDUCT OF WORKPLACE INVESTIGATIONS
INCLUDE:
• Gathering facts completely and objectively
• Collecting evidence and keeping them in a location that is accessible to
designated people. There should be an option in which the changes made
into the report have to be entered, bearing the sign of the person who
made the change, the date and time on which the change was made, and
the reason for which it was made
• Listening to both (or more, if that is the case) sides in the workplace
investigation
• Carrying out interviews with the parties concerned. This could also
include management and those immediately connected with the incident

7. • A workplace investigation is incomplete till the
credibility of the allegation is established and the guilty
employee is handed punishment as decided by
management
• HR and management should avoid taking retaliatory
action against an employee while the enquiry is going
on

8. GET IT RIGHT, DO IT RIGHT
The cost of conducting a workplace investigation
shoddily can cost the organization quite dear. A
recent instance that comes to mind is of the well-
known global giant, IBM, which was ordered by a
judge to shell out over $ four million in damages to
a former vice-president, in which the company's HR
investigator was revealed to have concealed the
better aspects of the employee's performance and
behaviour with the intention of presenting an
apparently favourable case for his dismissal on age
grounds.

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