According to a poll conducted during an Ogletree Deakins webinar in 2021, 70 percent of approximately 1,200 attendees had experienced an increase in internal workplace complaints. In addition, a recently published outlook for the legal industry projected a continued increase in the investigations practice area for 2022. Given the current climate, employers should expect an uptick in internal complaints, as well as corresponding workplace investigations and organizational assessments.

The beginning of the year can be a good time to take stock of the year behind and set goals for the year ahead. Below are four topics employers should consider adding to their lists of New Year’s resolutions to assist them in effectively handling employee complaints.

1. Conducting Comprehensive Training for In-House Investigators

At the start of the year, employers may want to schedule any overdue investigation training to ensure that they have competent investigators in their human resources, compliance, and legal departments. If internal investigators are ill equipped to handle the nuanced and complex employee complaints predicted in the new era, their investigative efforts may prove to be useless. Needless to say, it may be very risky to attempt to resolve a serious workplace complaint with inexperienced or untrained personnel. An investigation training agenda for this year might include updates on current events, a discussion of the “new” vernacular often used in employee complaints, a...

Read Full Story: https://www.natlawreview.com/article/workplace-investigations-2022-ringing-ne...