Step Three: Carrying Out an Investigation
Throughout investigations, the investigating officer leading should do their best to:
- be fair and objective
- follow any policies or guidelines your Business might have
- get as much information on the case as is reasonable
- not try to prove guilt, but get evidence from both sides
- keep the case confidential
The person investigating should get all the information they reasonably can and need for the case. They should be prepared and have questions ready to be asked, to cover everything required. Nockolds HR can help prepare these questions if required. They should be open questions, allowing for the employee / witnesses to give their side.
You should work out what physical evidence is needed based on:
- what’s laid out in the investigation plan
- what sources of information they can use
- any time limits, for example records getting deleted in a set period of time.
The order in which evidence should be collected depends on the matter being investigated and the complexity of this.
More evidence might come to light as the investigation goes on, so the person investigating should allow for this and be prepared to deal with any further evidence that is shown, and ensure they create a copy of this.
Types of physical evidence could include:
- emails
- paperwork
- receipts
- computer records
- phone records / screenshots
- CCTV recordings
- attendance records
- vehicle trackers/ documents
Ideally, the investigator should be impartial and not directly involved in the matter. Depending on the complexity or sensitivity of the issue, this may be an internal manager or an external HR consultant.
Nockolds HR can assist in this process, where required, we will also take notes and produce a report based on the findings of the investigation. We can provide scripts and suitable questions to be asked during the investigation meetings. For further advice contact Nockolds HR on 0345 646 0406 or fill in our online enquiry form.
The next step is holding investigations!