How to Conduct an Internal Investigation - Vital Piece of EEO Compliance

Why Should You Attend:

Conducting an internal investigation is a vital piece of EEO compliance. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act, which is the cornerstone of employment law, requires that any discrimination complaint be swiftly and thoroughly investigated. Organizations that do not properly conduct the investigation are at tremendous risk of lawsuits, fines and/or settlements, many of them in six figures.

Other anti-discrimination laws, including Pregnancy Discrimination Act, Americans with Disabilities Act, Age Discrimination Employment Act, Drug Free Workplace Act and OSHA regulations also require immediate and swift investigations of discrimination and safety complaints. This webinar will include a step-by-step process for conducting an investigation and strategies for dealing with difficult investigation issues. The webinar instructor, an EEOC trained investigator, will share a wealth of her experience to provide an informative session.

Areas Covered in the Webinar:

• Laws requiring employers to conduct investigations
• Identifying the need for an investigation
• Common causes for investigations
• Goals of an internal investigation
• Hearing the initial complaint
• Training managers how to respond to a complaint
• Preparing the investigation strategy
• Selecting the appropriate investigators
• Identifying potential witnesses, relevant documents, electronic records, files and communication
• Securing files and records during the investigation
• Preparing and conducting the investigative interviews
• Question preparation and formatting
• Developing the facts
• The importance of summarizing and reviewing responses during the interview
• Note-taking strategies
• Reading body language
• Conducting a post-interview evaluation
• Preparing the final report
• Managing challenges during an internal investigation, including hostile witnesses, attempts to tamper with documents, managing confidentiality and mitigating gossip
• Helpful resources and websites

Who Will Benefit:

• Human resources managers
• Directors
• Generalists
• Staff involved in the internal investigation process
• Business owners
• Human resources consultants whose practice includes conducting internal investigations or advising clients regarding internal investigations

Instructor Profile:

Gayla Sherry is the president of Gayla R. Sherry Associates, Inc., an Oklahoma-based consulting firm established in 1995. The firm’s mission is to improve employee morale, retention, engagement and productivity by providing human resources consulting. The firm has conducted many engagements with a wide range of clients, including financial services, healthcare, government, higher education, public, private and nonprofit organizations. Some of their key projects include HR audits, developing policies, procedures, handbooks, job descriptions, affirmative action plans, management training, employee relations, mediating conflict and conducting internal investigations.

Ms. Sherry is a well-known human resource professional, accomplished speaker and facilitator, faculty member, and published author. Having served in the commercial banking sector and the Federal Reserve System, she brings a broad range of business experience in senior management positions in human resources, operations, marketing and customer service.

Ms. Sherry offers a highly-credentialed background as a strategic business partner with Profiles International, the world’s largest provider of assessments. She is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources, and is an EEOC-trained Internal Investigator and Certified Mediator. She is a member of the Society of Human Resources Management.

She is the author of numerous professional articles and books, including: “Employee Retention: Reducing the Risk and Cost of Employee Turnover,” and posts an HR or management tip on YouTube, “Tuesday Tip.”

Ms. Sherry’s education includes a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Central Oklahoma; she is an honors graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder.

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