Allegations of misconduct and grievances within the workplace can place an employer in a highly vulnerable position and cause a great deal of frustration for all concerned. If not managed through a fair and transparent process the situation can quickly escalate, resulting in the breakdown of relationships and creating an unproductive working environment.
Historically, workplace issues have been dealt with “in house,” with the investigation and decision making process being undertaken by a single manager or workgroup. In recent years there has been a marked increase in these decisions being appealed and subsequently overturned by an Industrial Commission or Court, resulting in financial penalties and heavy criticism of the employer. Whilst in the majority of these cases the employer’s decision was determined to be correct it was found to be unsafe due to the lack of procedural fairness and flaws in the investigation process.
With the increased scrutiny of procedural fairness, which includes such areas as conflict of interest and personal bias during the investigation processes, many Government departments and contemporary employers now outsource their workplace investigations to ensure that their decisions are defensible and their reputation is not subsequently tarnished by high profile media articles or legal proceedings.
With his prior experience as Principal Investigator for the Commonwealth Government Workplace Regulator, Simon Smith, our Director of Workplace Investigation Services understands the pressure faced by Human Resource and/or Compliance Managers and is totally committed to providing a high quality, professional and timely service to assist in meeting investigational standards and deadlines.
Our dedicated Workplace Investigation Team consisting of male and female licenced investigators specialise in workplace conflict, bullying, harassment, psychosocial injuries, misconduct, breach of discipline, grievances, underperformance, PID, Crime and Corruption Commission referrals, discrimination, coercion, duress, denial of entitlements, unlawful industrial action, sham contracting, misclassification of employment status, unfair dismissal, unlawful termination, adverse action, general fact finding investigations, and any other complaints associated with the workplace.
To enable our clients to select the most cost-effective investigative solution, we offer a full range of investigative services including complaint assessment, preliminary enquiries, full and assisted investigations, grievance procedures, fact finding and psychosocial investigations utilising a victim centric trauma informed approach that can be tailored to suit individual needs. Having agreed the terms of engagement and scope of the investigation, we will manage the investigation process, provide regular client updates and deliver a clear, concise investigation report with defensible findings based upon facts that are supported by the evidence obtained.
Whether you are a Western Australia State Government department seeking investigation services under CUA HRS2021 – Common Use Arrangement for Human Resource (HR) and Investigation Services or a private sector employer of any size, our highly experienced team of Workplace Investigators are available to help with your workplace investigation needs and can tailor an investigation package to suit every individual circumstance and budget.
We are also experienced in undertaking cost effective processes for businesses that operate from remote locations or have staff located across a wide geographical area.