Best Practice Templates For Your Next Investigation

It’s that time of year again, and amongst all the end-of-year functions and holiday preparations, it is a good time to reflect on the lessons from 2023 for workplace investigations and look towards what may be on the horizon in 2024. Here are some trends our team has noticed over the last 12 months and […]

It is easy to fall into the trap of thinking that trauma-informed principles only need to be front of mind during complainant interviews involving allegations of sexual harassment.  In practice, we find that trauma-informed interviewing techniques can be helpful in any emotionally charged interview, including interviews with witnesses and respondents. Trauma-informed techniques are especially applicable

“Time for respect: Fifth national survey on sexual harassment in Australian workplaces” was released by the Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins last week, giving us a clear message that rates of sexual harassment in our workplaces remain unacceptably high. The Report shows that one in three people experienced workplace sexual harassment in the past five

As workplace investigators, our role is to make findings of fact. Every interviewee brings their own unique cultural perspective and interpretation of the facts to an interview.  In being respectful, understanding, and responsive to all interviewees’ cultural backgrounds we can ensure they are fully understood, interviews are more productive, fair and achieve more effective fact-finding.

Respect@Work – National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces by the Australian Human Rights Commission. What was the inquiry about? In March 2020, following an 18-month inquiry, Sex Discrimination Commissioner Kate Jenkins handed down the Australian Human Rights Commission’s report of the National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, Respect@Work. The Commission was

A medical student accused of serious sexual assault by a fellow student has successfully challenged an attempt by the Disciplinary Board of a university to hear and decide the allegations A final year medical student was notified by his university of allegations that he had sexually assaulted a fellow student during a clinical placement and

A recent FWC decision comments on what it takes to be a workplace investigator Key characteristics for a workplace investigator have been described in a recent Fair Work Commission (FWC) unfair dismissal case. A male employee lodged an unfair dismissal claim after being sacked for making a sexually offensive comment to colleagues, and for repeating

An employee who claims her complaints of inappropriate behavior in the workplace were never investigated has won her unfair dismissal claim, after the employer company failed to appear. A former employee of Billboard Media lodged an unfair dismissal claim with the Fair Work Commission (FWC). The threshold issue for determination by the FWC was whether