How to Properly Investigate Harassment and Bullying Complaints to Strengthen Workplace Culture and Reduce Liability

Course Description

Federal law — including Title VII — and OCR expectations require prompt, effective responses when employers learn of alleged discrimination or harassment. A well-run investigation aims to stop the harmful conduct, remedy impacts, and prevent recurrence; it is also the best protection against claims that an employer failed to act. Too often, legal claims succeed because the employer’s fact-finding was insufficient. Bullying complaints, although not uniformly regulated, should not be dismissed. Bullying can mask conduct tied to protected classes and therefore become unlawful. Employers are expected to intervene; that duty normally places HR at the center of the response. Proper investigator training is not optional if an employer wishes to show prevention and good faith. This program demystifies the investigative process so you can conduct a fair, defensible inquiry. We map a step-by-step Workplace investigation workflow, show when to escalate to an Internal investigation team or bring in outside counsel, and explain how Policy enforcement and a robust Harassment policy minimize escalation into a Toxic workplace. The session also presents concrete Harassment investigation interview strategies and explains how a disciplined HR investigation approach evidences HR compliance and Legal compliance.

Areas Covered in the Session:-

• To list the steps of an investigation
• To identify the components of an investigation
• To differentiate between an informal and a formal resolution to a complaint
• To provide sample interview questions for the complainant, the accused, and witnesses
• To discuss documentation requirements
• To determine the credibility of each interviewee
• To draw conclusions

Who Should Attend?

• All supervisors and managers
• Human Resources professionals