Investigations

An effective complaint reporting procedure requires a prompt, appropriate investigation. Only a small number of employee complaints ever grow into lawsuits, but when they do it is because the complaint was not resolved and the investigation – its scope, conclusions and documentation - is closely examined and criticized by a skilled adversary. Of course, it is impossible to always predict which employee concerns will escalate, and the best course of action is to perform a thorough, unbiased, prompt investigation into each complaint. An effective investigation need not be expensive, complicated or time consuming and may simply require answering a couple of questions and getting back to the employee.

Often these investigations can be conducted internally, but there are times when the employer needs an outside investigator. A third party investigator is helpful to improve credibility of an investigation, such as when a complaint is made against an upper level executive or when the company needs to restore employee faith in the complaint reporting procedure. External assistance is also valuable when a human resources department simply does not have the time or resources to thoroughly investigate.

Kathy Perkins performs confidential investigations designed to assist the organization in resolving the complaint and moving forward. She will provide a report with practical suggestions for addressing any conduct uncovered which poses a risk to the company, taking into account employee perceptions and misperceptions revealed by the investigation. Kathy also provides support and guidance for designing and conducting an effective internal investigation with appropriate documentation.