Laying the Groundwork for HR Investigations

For professionals in the Employee and Labor Relations field, HR investigations are A common occurrence. Whether you are within a Human Resources department at the hub of a multi-faceted company, or an individual leading of a small team of professionals in your own business venture, dealing with workplace issues and/or grievances is inevitable.

To avoid HR investigations becoming a bottleneck in operations, or resulting settlements costing thousands of dollars, initial steps should be taken.  Advance preparation can streamline the process and resolve situations swiftly - with minimal disruption to the business.

Pre-Investigation & Interview Steps for HR Managers

1. Determine who will conduct the investigation. Will this issue be handled solely in-house by HR and Employee Relations managers, or will legal assistance and investigative services be necessary? Will Union Representatives need to be present, or will parties be interviewed without external councils? Addressing these questions prior to scheduling any of the meetings or questioning those involved will ensure a smoother process.
2. Collection, storage, and use of materials and evidence. When building a case or defending a grievance, it’s not uncommon to site corporate policies, include photos or video footage, and record testimony to be referred to later in the process. Assembling as much information before the initial interview-phase will expedite the case. Using a central repository that is organized and easily searchable for all case-related information sets a collaborative standard of practice needed throughout the HR investigation.
3. Review of company policies & procedures. Even tenured Human Resources professionals should take the time to review employee handbooks, company policies, and state and federal regulations to note excerpts pertaining to the employee incidents in question. Review of employee and personnel profiles including disciplinary actions and recorded penalizations can help Human Resources investigators become acquainted with information relative to the case.

Before the HR investigation process even begins, your team should be considering the outcome – a definitive resolution. Taking these initial steps will delineate a thorough and well documented process that carries through to arbitration, and the closing of cases. 

Common reasons companies are unprepared to successfully handle grievances is lack of documentation or inaccuracies throughout the process. Unfortunately, many businesses rely on spreadsheets and antiquated procedures to manage HR issues. However, as the complexities of labor regulations continue to evolve, it’s becoming impossibly difficult to avoid human error from these manual processes – leaving companies at risk of legal complications.

LaborSoft is the leading partner for HR Case Management technology. Our innovative system provides the capabilities, intelligence, and flexibility companies need to oversee today’s employee and labor relations issues. Our engaging, user-friendly interface with point-and-click features, makes it easy to store, search, and archive case-related information. LaborSoft’s documentation, tracking, and reporting ensures HR grievances are facilitated quickly and accurately to save your company time and money managing HR investigations.

Learn why more companies are partnering with LaborSoft and integrating HR case management technology into their HCM solution.