It always happens at an inconvenient time. An anonymous complaint comes in through the corporate hot line, or an employee visits the director of human resources with an alarming tale of woe. The allegations are serious: harassment, discrimination, ethics violations or theft. And presto, a workplace investigation is added to the busy corporate counsel’s to-do list.
Investigations don’t have statutory or regulatory deadlines and are tempting to put off. Nonetheless, the best practice is to start an investigation as soon as possible. Witness recollections will be better, office gossip will not have time to fester and the company can address problems at an early stage.
