Workplace Investigations

ERA can assist you with internal workplace investigations.  Situations consistently in the workplace where an impartial third-party investigator is necessary to provide the employer and human resources with peace of mind.  Some include:

  • An employee made a complaint about harassment or discrimination.
  • An employee reported a violation of a serious workplace rule.
  • HR is not comfortable conducting the investigation.

In these situations, and many others, ERA can provide the support you need with an experienced Compliance Consultant or Attorney ready to investigate and interview witnesses, review policies and evaluate evidence.  Where requested, the assigned investigator will draft an investigation report for the company to review in order to render a decision.  

When you suspect wrongdoing in the workplace, or an employee comes to you with a complaint, ERA is ready to investigate. 


Internal Investigation- Additional Information

Every employer strives to provide a workplace that encourages employee mutual respect and communication. However, while striving to maintain a professional environment, employers occasionally learn of possible unprofessional conduct and find themselves having to assess the likelihood of whether a “reported” behavior has actually occurred and if so, the correct response required to address the situation.

To do this, a thorough investigation, including employee interviews, is often necessary. Unprofessional or inappropriate actions that may require an investigation include: sexual harassment or any other form of illegal harassment; claims of discriminatory practices; unsafe actions such as claims of substance or alcohol abuse; job-related complaints lodged against supervisors; formal grievances filed in accordance with your internal system; official complaints or charges from external agencies; or an investigation relating to your alternative dispute resolution process.

Our human resource professionals are now available to conduct impartial, third party, internal investigations that provide you with the facts you need to properly protect your company. We can help you examine the original complaint, assist you in determining if an investigation is truly warranted, offer suggestions on the breadth and scope, and actually perform the information gathering or fact-finding process for you. Our staff professionals possess the knowledge and skills necessary to ask the appropriate questions and have the ability to determine who should be interviewed and how they should be interviewed to extract the most useful information.

We cannot offer legal advice. Investigations performed by the Association will focus on “fact finding” rather than arriving at conclusions or formulating recommendations. It is for this reason, and the fact that we are not personally connected to individuals within your organization, that we can be objective throughout the investigation. By focusing on the collection of facts and details, we are able to provide you with a report of relevant information that will enable you and your legal counsel to assess the situation and determine the appropriate course of action.

This service is an excellent alternative to involving counsel in the fact finding stage since using your legal resource to conduct an investigation has drawbacks, should your attorney conduct the investigation. If court testimony is needed, our professionals, if subpoenaed, will be available to testify on your behalf as to the accuracy and other details of the investigation.

In summary, this Association service offers you the opportunity to:

  • use an independent resource you can trust,
  • be provided with an accurate, thorough, and neutral report,
  • be relieved of the time required to conduct the fact-finding process