Do you deal with workplace allegations of harassment? Every day in Saskatchewan, people head to work with the hope of having a good day. People want to be paid fairly for the work they do, and they should reasonably expect to have a safe workplace where they are treated in a polite and professional manner.
Unfortunately, despite this, harassment occurs in our workplaces. As organizational leaders and human resource teams, there is a responsibility to address workplace allegations of harassment when they occur and in a timely way. Some allegations of harassment can be managed through coaching and performance management. Other allegations require a workplace investigation. The question is, when do you investigate on your own, and when do you bring in outside help?
What do the employees and organizations need to deal with allegations of workplace harassment?
Listening to the complainant is important to determine what they see as the desired outcome. Acknowledging their experience and helping them to feel heard is important. As well, organizations have their own policies and expectations. First, we need to listen to the complainant and what they see as the desired outcome.
Who is involved?
When an allegation involves managers and other leaders in the organization, including senior executives, ensuring an objective process is crucial for the complainant, respondent, and for the organization’s reputation. Further, our experience has demonstrated that union leaders appear to prefer third-party investigators to strengthen the objectivity of the investigation exercise.
What is the allegation of workplace harassment??
If you have clear-cut evidence of workplace misconduct, it can make it easy to determine that an internal investigator can handle the work. This said, where:
- Grey areas exist
- Potential biases may occur
- Information isn’t readily available or
- The subject matter/allegation is beyond the skill set of the internal team
Therefore, you may wish to hire a third-party investigator. Third parties bring objectivity to situations that in house employees simply cannot.
In today’s workplace, reputation management is important, meaning that a poorly handled investigation or outcome can lead to mistrust within the workplace and could potentially end up in the public undermining client confidence in your organization.
Regardless of your decision, a well-timed phone call to a third party may be just what you need to explore the challenge and gather some objective advice as you make a decision.
Kn/a HR has trained and experienced investigators available for virtual and on-site investigations. Our team has undertaken and completed more than 100 workplace investigations over the past eight years. Please reach out to us today to start a conversation or explore other supports our knowledgeable, trained and experienced investigators can bring to support your team and workplace.
Stephen Eger is the managing partner of Kn/a HR. You can reach Stephen at stephen@knahr.ca or by calling 306-520-3236.