Conducting Workplace Misconduct Investigations: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly - 2 hrs Webinar

Learn How to Conduct a Fair Investigation and Minimize Your Risk of Liability

When we think of workplace investigations, the most common thought is that of investigating harassment complaints. But workplace investigations are often necessary to discover, prevent and address other problems – such as theft, safety or OSHA issues, retaliation, vandalism, substance abuse, social media violations, company policy violations, and so on. As an employer you have a duty to investigate, and as an employee, you have an obligation to cooperate with the investigative process. But what if you have a recalcitrant complainant, wrongdoer or witness?

You know that documentation and writing a final report are critical aspects of an investigation process – and should begin as soon as an employee makes a complaint. But do you know how to document the critical elements of a report so that you can minimize your liability? One of the first questions you need to consider is whether the complaint requires a full-blown formal investigation or a less formal resolution because the complaint is a minor policy violation. Do you know what steps to take if you need to search an employee’s desk, computer, smart phone or locker? And when should you include legal counsel, and what evidence do you need to gather?

Why should you Attend

Join this webinar by industry veteran Susan Strauss, who will answer all these questions – and teach you the art and science of conducting an investigation. Strauss will walk you through the best practices on how to conduct a fair and impartial investigation, and reduce your organization’s risk of liability.Strauss will teach you how to identify what constitutes a compliant, how to determine if an investigation is necessary, and discuss the key steps of an investigation. She will discuss the intricacies of interviewing the accuser, accused and witnesses – and show you how to create a safe environment in which to interview and establish rapport with your interviewees. She will demonstrate the good documentation practices you should follow, and teach you how to differentiate between formal and informal investigative procedures.Strauss will provide practical tips on how to detect when someone is lying, teach you how to conclude and follow up an investigation, and how to write a formal investigation report.After attending this webinar, you will be able to conduct fair and impartial investigations that support a positive work environment, protect your employees, and decrease the risk of your organization’s liability.

Areas Covered

Strauss will teach you how to:

Who will Benefit

This activity has been approved for 2 HR (General) recertification credit hours toward aPHR, PHR, PHRca, SPHR, GPHR, PHRi and SPHRi recertification through HR Certification Institute (HRCI). Please make note of the activity ID number on your recertification application form. For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HR Certification Institute website at www.hrci.org

This program is valid for 2 HR PDCs for the SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP®

Your Instructor

Dr. Susan Strauss

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer and consultant. She has worked as a psychiatric nurse and her undergraduate degree is in psychology and human services. Her specialty areas include discrimination, harassment, and bullying; management/leadership development, and organization development. She conducts harassment and bullying investigations and works as an expert witness for discrimination lawsuits.