Harrassment Investigations Solutions By Elemental Solutions

OTTAWA, ON, November 04, 2012

Cases of workplace harassment can be one of the most intrusive and pervasive types of workplace problems that can infest a corporate workspace. Sexual harassment and bullying make up the majority of these types of cases, with estimates hovering around 10% of the workforce facing sexual harassment and another 10% facing workplace bullying, including race based harassment (source: StatsCan). The presence of these cases can grind the productivity of a section or department to a halt unless managers can identify and tackle the problem quickly, fairly and openly.

When the issue of harassment rears its head, it can quickly become a floor supervisor's or middle manager's worst nightmare. They are pulled between maintaining efficiency and production on the floor while handling a claim of harassment and all of the various issues that come along with one. On top of this, they must navigate the waters of the other staff, who will undoubtedly be aware of the claim and likely have chosen a side to support, making the inter-office affairs much like an episode of some seedy TV drama.

The unfortunate nature of harassment claims means that if the claim is mishandled or ignored, it will continue to fester and sour workplace relations until it is finally addressed...one way or another. If it is an issue where the staff in general supports the claimant, a company can face long term loss of productivity, increased absenteeism and an increased likelihood of staff to engage in harmful activities. If the staff are not supportive of the claimant, depending on the nature of the claim, your company could still be open to litigation or public exposure should the claimant have a valid claim.

It is therefore in the corporate best interest to ensure that harassment claims are dealt with in an efficient manner. First off, staff should all be given a general discussion at least once annually about the harassment policy of your company, regardless of the size of your business. You should also ensure that you have a clear reporting chain for personnel to be able to lodge harassment complaints. This should ideally allow for personnel to report through an option of personnel designated as harassment advisors/coordinators. This is important as it allows complainants to lodge complaints with persons outside of their normal reporting chain. This advisor should be able to conduct an initial assessment of a claim and advise on appropriate measures in moving forward, primarily on whether or to proceed with a formal harassment investigation. If the claim is found to be credible, the next step in a harassment investigation should be to bring in a third party investigator. The investigator will be able to conduct the investigation as a separate third party observer. This is important as it allows the staff and management to see a disinterested third party conduct an open investigation and report on the findings, reinforcing that the evidence is being impartially scrutinized. It also allows for the proper assembling of evidence and keeps staff from reporting on issues in which they could be viewed as biased should the case require higher level mediation or formal court proceedings.

Once the investigation is complete, the recommendation can then be made on how to proceed, whether it is mediation, civil or criminal recommendations. Following this route ensures that harassment policies are adhered to, the concept of fair and open justice has been applied and that concerns will be treated quickly and without bias towards any party to a disagreement. This will greatly assist in the morale of your staff and ease the burden to your supervisor and middle management personnel who need clear direction on how to deal with these types of issues.

Elemental Solutions can assist in any harassment investigation quickly and efficiently. We can provide an objective analysis of the claim to assist in your decision to move forward with a formal investigation and provide a reasonable expectation of timelines involved at no cost. Call today for a consultation on how we can help your harassment program.

Elemental Solutions can be found online at http://www.elementalsolutions.ca

Elemental Solutions is a professional corporate investigations company serving the Ottawa and the surrounding area. For more details on our services, please visit us at http://www.elementalsolutions.ca