Conducting a procedurally fair workplace investigation is essential for businesses. The need for investigations can arise with any serious workplace issue but where these issues lead to an employee’s dismissal the need for investigations is clear.
Analysis conducted by the Victorian Chamber of the Fair Work Commission’s unfair dismissal rulings over 12 months has shown that where a dismissal occurred without prior investigation, the employer’s success rate was less than 20%. Where an internal investigation was undertaken, success was increased to 54% and where an external party was engaged to investigate, successful defence rulings increased to 90%.
While workplace investigations are useful after an incident has occurred, culture reviews can pre-empt many of these issues. By understanding the culture in your organisation, you can act to ensure that employees feel safe, happy, and engaged and reduce the risk of serious incidents or claims occurring.