Employee complaints are made in virtually every workplace, even where the company has developed meaningful workplace policies and trained its employees on compliance. While complaints may be unavoidable, companies that respond appropriately by investigating complaints and taking remedial action, when necessary, can maintain employee morale, protect their reputations and reduce their legal risks. An effective workplace investigation has a number of important components.
Act Quickly
It seems obvious: when an employee brings to the employer’s attention a concern that requires an investigation (and not all concerns do), the employer should act quickly. All too often, though, employee complaints languish without any action by the employer. Inattention is bad business and increases risk.
