investigate , and other times , the person can continue to work . Here ’ s what you will want to look at .
SHUTTERSTOCK ILLUSTRATION
The seriousness of the accusation
A bullying complaint should probably not result in a suspension before the investigation . An accusation of sexual assault probably should ( as well as calling the police ).
Not all complaints are equal . A good question to ask yourself is , “ If this accusation is found to be true , would we terminate the employee ?” If the answer is yes , suspending is a reasonable choice . If the answer is no , then suspension probably isn ’ t the right path .
The credibility of the witness
First , you absolutely do want to investigate every accusation , even if you think the accuser is not trustworthy . But in this situation , the employee would be terminated in two days . Also , being on a PIP meant that the employee had ample time to speak to HR or another member of management , yet the employee waited until two days before the scheduled termination to say anything . This situation screams lack of credibility , and you should consider this .
On the other hand , a model employee that comes to you and reports inappropriate behavior has more credibility . That employee is not trying to save their own skin by accusing someone of something .
Both situations must be investigated , but when the reporting employee has no obvious ulterior motive , you should be faster to suspend the accused .
Conduct the investigation as quickly as possible
In your situation , you felt it was best to hire an outside investigator . That is sometimes a brilliant thing to do — especially if one or both parties are senior-level employees or there is a conflict of interest with the HR person who would generally do the investigation . But for investigations that can be done in-house , you can wrap a lot of them up rather quickly .
When you do have to suspend someone during the investigation
Suspension is a great tool to have when you need it , but as you found out , the suspended party doesn ’ t generally appreciate it . Of course , someone who is suspended and cleared should be paid for the suspension . But what to do about the reputation aspect ?
If you suspend an employee and keep everything hush-hush , the employee will create stories about what happened upon returning . These stories are rarely good . So be honest with everyone . When your cleared employee returns , if the person wants you to , make it clear to the department that John did nothing wrong and was out because you take complaints seriously . Emphasize that John has your full support .
As for support during the suspension , keep in touch with updates and progress ( while maintaining necessary confidentiality for the investigation ).
You ’ re right to take harassment of all types seriously , but you don ’ t have to go overboard with suspensions . The new sensitivity to harassment is good , but don ’ t let it cloud your professional judgment .
Suzanne Lucas spent 10 years in corporate human resources , where she hired , fired , managed the numbers and doublechecked with the lawyers , On Twitter @ RealEvilHRLady . Send questions to evilhrlady @ gmail . com .
How does your workplace respond to bullying complaints ?
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October 2021 | comstocksmag . com 27