This audio conference was recorded on Friday - March 20, 2009

Credits:

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org. The use of this seal is not an endorsement by HRCI of the quality of the program. It means that this program has met HRCI’s criteria to be pre-approved for recertification.

Description:

From Sarbanes-Oxley violations to petty thefts, from bias and harassment complaints to threats of violence, internal investigations are business as usual for HR professionals. But it’s important to remember that they’re a double-edged sword: You have a legal duty to promptly investigate complaints and alleged misconduct, but if you make mistakes along the way, you could wind up in even more hot water than when you started.

Don’t take unnecessary, easily avoidable risks. Order this in-depth audio conference recording. Our speaker--an experienced employment attorney who’s helped many clients with investigations--will walk you through the legal do's and don’ts of conducting a proper, lawful workplace investigation.

You’ll learn how to decide whether you need an investigation in the first place, how to organize and document the steps you take, and how to proceed once you’ve reached your conclusions (or gotten stuck behind a massive roadblock).

Speaker(s):

James P. Greene, Esq., is director of the employment law department and a partner at the law firm Dykema Gossett, PLLC. He devotes his practice exclusively to representing management in labor and employment matters, with more than 30 years of experience in this arena. He has conducted investigations and counseled clients on internal reviews on a wide range of employment law issues. Before joining his current firm, Greene served as executive director of human resources for a major university. He earned his master's degree in labor and industrial relations from Michigan State University and his law degree from the University of Toledo.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The types of accusations, complaints, and suspicions that usually require an internal investigation
• How to set the nature and scope of your investigation from the start
• The step-by-step components of a lawful, successful workplace investigation
• Who should conduct your investigation--and when
• How to document your investigation to reduce your legal exposure
• The right (and wrong) ways to interview witnesses--and how to deal with those who won’t talk, who don’t seem credible, who gossip about the investigation, or who engage in “he said/she said” accusations
• When it makes sense to bring in outside help, from your attorney and independent investigators to law enforcement officials
• How to deal with touchy situations such as complaints about top executives or off-site incidents
• When (if ever) it’s appropriate to use tactics such as electronic monitoring, searches, polygraph tests, and undercover investigators
• The most common legal mistakes employers make when conducting investigations (and how you can learn from their errors)