2-Hour Virtual Seminar on How to Conduct an Internal Harassment and Bullying Investigation to Determine Facts and Minimize Liability

A harassment or bullying complaint puts the employer on the clock. How you run the internal investigation decides whether the facts come out clearly and whether your liability goes up or down.

This 2-hour virtual seminar walks through a workplace harassment investigation from start to finish. You'll learn how to decide whether an investigation is needed, plan the steps, and interview the person making the complaint, the person accused and any witnesses.

The session then covers weighing the evidence, judging each interviewee's credibility, reaching sound conclusions, writing a formal investigation report and choosing corrective action where it is called for.

• Decide when a complaint calls for an internal investigation
• Plan and follow the steps of a harassment or bullying investigation
• Interview the accuser, the accused and witnesses effectively
• Choose between formal and informal investigation procedures
• Assess the credibility of each interviewee
• Analyze evidence and draw defensible conclusions
• Write a formal report and take corrective action where needed

• Deciding whether an investigation is necessary
• The steps of a harassment or bullying investigation
• Interviewing the accuser, the accused and witnesses
• Formal vs informal investigation procedures
• Judging the credibility of every interviewee
• Drawing conclusions after the investigation
• What to include in the formal investigation report

The EEOC expects employers who learn of alleged harassment to investigate promptly and thoroughly, act to end the conduct, restore any lost benefits or opportunities to the victim, and stop it from happening again. Meeting that standard fairly is hard, and the investigation is the part most likely to go wrong.

This seminar helps HR professionals, investigators, managers, supervisors, team leads and department heads understand the critical parts of a harassment or bullying investigation so they can establish the facts and reduce liability.

• Human Resources Professionals
• HR training Manager
• Investigative Officers
• Managers
• Supervisors
• Team Leads
• Directors
• Department Head

Dr. Susan Strauss is a national and international speaker, trainer and consultant. Her specialty areas include management/leadership development, organization development, communication, and harassment and bullying. She is an expert witness for discrimination and harassment lawsuits. She trains and consults with business, education, healthcare, law, and government organizations from both the public and private sector. Dr. Strauss has authored over 30 book chapters, books, and articles in professional journals. She has been featured on 20/20, CBS Evening News, and other television and radio programs as well as interviewed for newspaper and journal articles. She has her doctorate in organizational leadership, is a registered nurse with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and human services, a master’s degree in community health, and professional certificate in training and development.