Originally from Dispute Resolution Journal

Why would an organization conduct an investigation? Most of us would respond, “To find out the truth.” But the “truth” is rarely self-evident. What an investigation can do is fact finding. Unfortunately, there is little guidance available on how to conduct a thorough, fair, non-criminal investigation. The author suggests some guidelines that can serve as the basis for a discussion within the dispute resolution community of what we should expect from a competently conducted investigation.

With some frequency, organizations must conduct investigations of accidents and other incidents. These are really “fact-finding” missions. The organization might need to investigate the manner in which an employee incurred a work-related injury, or an allegation of sexual harassment, or an altercation between two employees. Regardless of the issue, the organization must learn the facts in order to resolve the matter in a fair manner. This article examines the elements of a fair investigation and proposes guidelines that could assist in its implementation.