In today’s business environment, potential misconduct can hurt a firm’s reputation. Moreover, Virginia employees are more aware of their rights than ever before. If employers don’t investigate ethics violation claims fast and effectively, your business may pay dearly through costly litigations. This is why it is necessary to investigate alleged misconduct in the organization sooner than later.
A workplace investigation should be a fact-finding mission to determine with certainty what exactly happened with regards to an incident. Complaints related to fraud, misconduct, conflicts of interest or wrongdoing should be investigated by an independent party for the findings to be reliable. The EEOC doesn’t concern ethics violations except for resolving EEO disputes in the federal sector.
With public organizations, there is also the issue of public record requests. The investigator needs to understand how the data gathered during an investigation should be recorded and managed in case the public requests access to the records.
Why Carry Out a Workplace Investigation
A workplace investigation should be done when there is reliable information to show that significant misconduct, wrongdoing, or a lapse in ethics occurred.
The investigations may occur even if there are no specific allegations against a firm’s department or employee, but claims have been made against others. The investigation, in this case, seeks to prove that no wrongdoing happened in the company.
When a workplace investigation is done effectively, it protects the interest of the firm and its shareholders by:
- Detecting the occurrence of misconduct
- Ensuring that the activities carried out in the organization adhere to laid down rules and regulations
- Identifying the areas where the company needs to improve on to ensure there is no misconduct
Why Hire a Workplace Ethics Investigation Lawyer in Arlington, VA
Conducting workplace investigations is a challenging task, let alone the legal issues surrounding them. Very few employees in a company are trained investigators. They should let a lawyer handle an investigation, rather than attempting one on their own. This could risk jeopardizing a severance agreement or the employee losing their job.
Many companies give managers or human resources staff the task of investigating workplace ethics issues. However, these professionals may not be up to date with the continually changing Virginia workplace laws. Moreover, they aren’t trained to conduct such investigations and may be under pressure to resolve the issues fast.
HKM Employment Attorneys LLP is a law firm experienced in handling workplace ethics cases for clients across Northern Virginia, including Alexandria, Falls Church, McLean, Fairfax County, Arlington County, and all points in between.
An experienced employment lawyer will be aware of new workplace-related legislation in Virginia. Contact us today for a consultation and see what legal routes you can take.
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