The Compliance Response to Misconduct Allegations
Playbook
Resources
Description
Key Features
- Describes the ethical and legal reasons for a company to follow up on and take every employee complaint seriously
- Provides a framework of best practices the investigative team can use to prepare for and conduct workplace investigations
- Includes a series of checklists and templates to aid the investigative team before, during, and after the investigation
Readership
Security managers and executives who must lead or conduct workplace investigations but haven’t received formal investigative training; human resources managers; and any others who may be the first to receive reports of wrongdoing, regulatory violations, or allegations about workforce behavior
Table of Contents
Executive Summary
What is a Playbook?
Section I. Introduction
1.1 What Exactly Do We Mean by “Investigations?”
Section II. Reasons to Investigate
2.1 Legal Requirement to Investigate
2.2 Legal “Knew or Should Have Known” Standard
2.3 Formal Versus Informal Complaint
Section III. Preliminary Issues
3.1 Preliminary Interviews
3.2 Ensure the Safety of All Concerned
Section IV. Creation of a Need-to-Know Group
Section V. Identification of Appropriate Investigators
5.1 Special Skills
5.2 Attorney–Client Privilege and Attorney Work Product
5.3 Conflicts of Interest
5.4 Objectivity and Pressures
5.5 Matching the Investigator to the Situation
Section VI. Planning the Investigation
6.1 Minimize Witness Intimidation
6.2 Form Investigative Team and Divide Duties
6.3 Establish the Time Frame for the Investigation
6.4 Confirmatory Memorandum
6.5 Obtain Relevant Documents
6.6 Special Investigative Techniques
6.7 Determine Who to Interview
6.8 Interview Location
6.9 Interview Order
6.10 Prepare Opening and Closing Comments
6.11 Prepare a Set of Written Questions
6.12 Multiple Interviews
6.13 Written Statements
6.14 Taking Notes
Section VII. General Interview Issues
7.1 Procedural Issues
7.2 Issues Unique to Public Entities
7.3 Specific Issues
7.4 Style Issues
7.5 Issues Unique to the Subject Matter
Section VIII. Taking Notes
8.1 Designate a Primary Note Taker
8.2 What to Include in Notes
8.3 Need for Completeness
8.4 Exclude Interpretation, Subjective Comments or Conclusions
8.5 Note Demeanor
8.6 Write for the Jury
Section IX. Taking Written Statements
9.1 Obtaining Voluntary Statements
9.2 Requiring Employee Statements
9.3 Identify Topics but Not Content
9.4 Elements of the Statement
Section X. Reporting Findings
10.1 Reporting Preliminary Conclusions
10.2 Inclusion of Attorney
10.3 Reporting Conclusions, Recommendations
10.4 After Consensus is Reached, Create a Summary Report
10.5 Communication Beyond the Need-to-Know Group
10.6 Attorney File Review
Section XI. Investigations in Union Environments
11.1 Handling the Press
11.2 Conclusion
Appendix A. Checklists
1 Identifying Investigators
2 Obtaining Documents
3 Planning the Investigation
4 Procedural Interview Issues
5 Technical Interview Issues
6 Taking Notes
7 Taking Written Statements
8 Reporting Findings
9 What Not to Do
Appendix B. Sample Confirmation Memorandum
Confidential
Appendix C. Investigation Matrix
About the Author
About Elsevier’s Security Executive Council Risk Management Portfolio
Industry Applicability Validation
Product details
- No. of pages: 90
- Language: English
- Copyright: © Elsevier 2013
- Published: March 28, 2013
- Imprint: Elsevier
- eBook ISBN: 9780124165632
About the Author
John Thompson
Currently a partner with the Minneapolis law firm of Oberman Thompson, LLC, John formerly served as in house counsel for 3M Company where he advised the human resources, employee assistance, medical, and security departments. John participated in the development of 3M's progressive and proactive approach to the problem of workplace violence, including incident management and the development of a threat assessment team and other preventive techniques.
He enjoys a unique career combination: that of practicing attorney and corporate development of employer workplace violence management and security programs. He holds both BA and JD degrees with honors from Georgetown University.