Investigating conduct matters for inexperienced managers can be quite daunting and even for those of us who have done it many times before, there are always some nerves particularly as you want to make sure you handle it appropriately. But why, I hear you ask, is it important to ensure investigations are carried out?
It’s important for organisations to ensure standards of conduct are set with employees from the word go and any behaviour which is deemed inappropriate is addressed to correct this. Failing to address conduct matters can lead to behaviours becoming part of the culture and the norm for employees. This can lead to employees treating other colleagues inappropriately on a regular basis. If they have never been shown what they are doing is wrong, or that their conduct could be offensive to others; this is likely to result in grievances and claims of bullying and harassment being raised or a high level of turnover in good staff.
In some cases, tackling conduct matters at the outset can rectify issues early on and can demonstrate to employees that you don’t accept poor behaviour regardless of who it is, right from the top down. Where matters aren’t investigated or handled appropriately, this can lead to claims of constructive dismissal, harassment, bullying and discrimination, which can not only take an immense amount of time to defend, but the financial impact and reputational damage can leave a lasting impact on the organisation.
Our experience in conducting investigations is vast and we have the expertise and impartiality to investigate matters through an independent lens, no matter how complex or simple the case might be. If you feel you need help with how to get started on investigating conduct matters in your organisation we would be happy to discuss this with you and provide advice, guidance or someone to do the investigation on your behalf. Please contact us here for more information.
