The Psychology (and Law) of Harassment Investigations

Why Should You Attend:

When you receive an allegation of workplace harassment, discrimination, or other misconduct, taking prompt and appropriate action is your legal responsibility. However, understanding your legal responsibilities is only half the battle; most of the mistakes in complaint investigations involve the way the parties are treated, what they think is fair, and how the process is communicated and/or implemented.

This intermediate to advanced workplace harassment investigation training webinar will discuss, and help you develop, best practices when conducting a legally and psychologically effective workplace probe. In 90 minutes , our expert will help you evaluate the scope of your internal investigation, determine how to document the steps you've taken along the way, cover psychologically effective interviewing techniques, and show you how to insulate your organization from a subsequent lawsuit. From fact finding to writing reports, this webinar will cover the do's and don'ts of conducting workplace investigations so you can gain the confidence to be an effective investigator.

Learning Objectives:

This training will help participants to:

• Avoid the legal landmines surrounding investigations.
• Develop more effective interviewing skills, particularly around sensitive topics.
• Gain an understanding of the perspectives of the complainant and the accused.
• Compile and analyze physical & documentary evidence.
• Draft your final report and take appropriate action.
• Manage your workplace during and after an investigation.
• Prevent retaliation and future workplace misconduct.

Areas Covered in the Seminar:

• Understanding what laws influence (for better or worse) your investigation.
• Deciding whether or not to investigate.
• What your managers should know about taking the initial complaint.
• Choosing the right investigator.
• Using the perspectives of the accused and the complainant to your advantage.
• Creating a successful road map before you start the investigation.
• Developing effective interviewing with the complainant, accused and witnesses.
• Using psychology to get to the truth, evaluate credibility, and create perceptions of fairness.
• Using lawsuit-proof documentation.
• Handling the impact on the rest of the department, including rumors, questions, and the aftermath.
• Making the right decision, determining corrective actions and writing a court-ready report.
• Communicating investigation results with sensitivity and fairness.

Note: A detailed, 3-hr training is available on the same topic. Click here to purchase that training.

Who Will Benefit:

• Senior HR Professionals
• HR Analysts
• HR Mangers & Directors
• HR Personnel
• Managers & Supervisors
• Employee Relations Professionals
• Line managers
• Directors, Vice Presidents & Managers of Recruiting/Retention
• Directors, Vice Presidents & Managers of Human Resources
• Employment Managers/Specialists
• HR Coordinators/Supervisors

Instructor Profile:

Dr. Joni E. Johnston, is the founder and CEO of Work Relationships, a corporate training and consulting company specializing in workplace mental health problems as well as employee conduct issues including workplace harassment, workplace violence, and effective discipline/termination. Dr. Johnston has been performing human resource seminars for professional groups and industry associations since she founded her HR/employee relations consulting and training firm in 1991, and has personally trained over 50,000 managers and supervisors. She has worked extensively in the biotech and life sciences industry.

A forensic psychologist, Dr. Johnston has written monthly columns for LexisNexis, HR.Com and HRGateway. She is an adjunct professor in Tiffin University's criminal justice program and has authored three books, including The Complete Idiot's Guide to Psychology. She has also served as an expert witness in numerous employment-related lawsuits.

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