How To Run a Successful Workplace Investigation

Workplace investigations can cost thousands, and sometime millions, of dollars in lawsuits, especially if you make mistakes during your investigation. 4 Great Ways to Ruin a Workplace Investigation by i-Sight highlights the 4 most common mistakes that are made during a workplace investigation.

Here are some highlights from the article on what not to do, but make sure to check it out in full!

1. Don’t Go in Cold. Hire an expert interviewer to conduct your investigation. A skilled interviewer will use a variety of techniques and build rapport from the start of the interview.

2. Not Doing Your Homework. Research the case, the people and the circumstances surrounding the allegations prior to beginning your investigation. Being prepared will ensure you don’t botch the interview from the start. In addition, don't confront a suspect before you have gathered all of the evidence because if the suspect is aware the investigation is ongoing, they may have opportunity to destroy or delete evidence.

3. Handling Evidence Badly. Ensure you recognize and secure all evidence related to the case, and establish a chain of evidence for admittance to court. Part of recognizing evidence includes crosschecking the suspect’s story and verifying evidence with the suspect to make sure interpretations are correct.

4. Jumping to Conclusions. Don’t make up your mind before you have all the facts! If you already have a theory, you may filter out contrary evidence without even realizing it!


These four points truly summarize some of the main errors that could ruin a workplace investigation. If you plan to run your own workplace investigation to solve issues such as workplace disputes, allegations or accident investigations, there are some other points you should keep in mind.

Ensure you have policies in place that not only provide clear guidelines for employee behaviour, but also outline your investigation procedures. Employee privacy and corporate surveillance policies should be outlined in detail to ensure policies adhere to privacy legislation such as PIPEDA. Learn more about PIPEDA here.

Also plan out your interview process and create a list of people you plan to interview. If possible, bring in a professional interviewer and a lawyer in the early stages of the investigation. You may need to alter your investigation plan along the way as you continue to gather more facts.

If you are not sure where to begin with a workplace investigation, considering hiring a private investigation firm. The Renwick Group offers a full range of investigation services to help you make informed decisions. Undercover operations, fraud investigations and WSIB and LTD investigations are among the services we offer.

Click here to learn more or contact us for more information.

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