In an ideal world, there would be little to no ambiguity surrounding the ‘facts’ of a workplace investigation. Accounts provided by witnesses would always be consistent, making it relatively straightforward to determine exactly what has occurred. In reality, it is not uncommon for people to present two very different sets of facts when recalling the [...]
Every organization has a duty to investigate reported or even suspected incidents of employee misconduct or prohibited activity. While a prompt response with a neutral, fair and organized investigative process is essential to enable resolution of the immediate issues and to move toward workplace restoration, there are additional considerations. Given the complexity and stress involved [...]
The decision to initiate a workplace investigation and establishing the process through which it will be conducted is critical to maintaining a safe, healthy and productive workplace. However, after you've done the difficult work of carrying out an investigation, communicating the findings with all affected parties and deciding what corrective steps will be taken is [...]
In recent years, the concept of unconscious (or implicit) bias in the workplace – whether in recruitment practices, retention, or workplace investigations, has come into sharper focus. As a species that utilizes patterns as a means of interpreting the world around us, we are all susceptible to some level of bias. When it comes to workplace [...]
Regardless of your company culture, policies or procedures, odds are at some point; you’ll need to conduct a workplace investigation. By promptly and properly addressing an issue through a fair, organized and unbiased process, you’re likely to save your company time, money and hassle down the road. However, if the purpose of an investigation is [...]
When companies originally started to work remotely due to COVID-19, many organizations were forced to transition their teams to an entirely new working model within a matter of days. As a result, certain business practices were put off to the side to be handled once things “returned to normal” and employees were back at the [...]
Proper workplace investigations aren’t possible without an understanding and consideration of intersectionality. This article will explore what intersectionality is, how the concepts can be incorporated in your company policies and procedures, and the role it plays in workplace investigations. What is Intersectionality? Intersectionality is an analytical framework used to understand how a person’s overlapping identities [...]
In recent years, workplace misconduct has been in the spotlight. Between the wake of the #MeToo movement and high-profile bullying and harassment cases involving celebrities, politicians and corporate executives, this important issue has garnered plenty of media attention. However, despite the growing awareness of how damaging misconduct can be, it begs the question: Why does [...]
Recent insights from Statistics Canada uncover just how widespread and problematic workplace bullying has become within Canadian workplaces. The results, based on StatsCan’s General Social Survey, revealed that 19% of Canadian women and 13% of men reported being harassed in the workplace, with verbal abuse being the most common form of harassment. As part of [...]
While employers may be aware of their obligation to take workplace complaints seriously, uncertainty persists around investigating allegations of misconduct properly and fairly. In this article, we shed some light on how "fairness" is defined and understood in the context of a workplace investigation, common mistakes employers make when investigating complaints, consequences of a shoddy [...]
