From Allegations to Action: Pivot HR’s Expert Approach to Workplace Findings

workplace investigations

There are a million reasons why workplace investigations may take place, whether it’s looking into employee misconduct, finding a resolution to interpersonal conflicts, or a more severe matter like sexual harassment. Workplace investigations are best conducted by a third-party human resources agency, like Pivot HR, to ensure unbiased findings.

In a previous blog, we discussed how Pivot HR consultants conduct workplace investigation interviews and deep dive into what that process looks like. Let’s look at how Pivot HR assesses information, develops our key findings, and makes recommendations for resolution and a path forward.

Keep reading to learn how Pivot HR concludes workplace investigations.

Assessing the Information

Once we are confident that all necessary interviews have occurred, we start to connect the dots. In workplace investigations, each party has their subjective version of the truth; the HR consultant’s job is to find the objective truth somewhere in the middle.

This is when our specialists hunker down and examine the information collected from the interviews. We cross reference the alleged misconduct with the company’s existing policies and procedures to discern where the fault lies and the severity of the resolution.

Pivot HR’s fact-finding process is all about checks and balances to ensure sound findings. Once we have reached a firm conclusion, we develop a list of recommendations and a path forward to present to leadership or a board of directors.

Presenting the Investigation’s Findings

After the assessment, Pivot HR’s consultant will present their findings to the board or executive committee member overseeing the investigation. Depending on the organization, this is presented either in person or through email. The member overseeing the investigation often had no direct involvement until this point.

Painting the Picture

To begin, we lay out the situation plainly:

  • Who is involved?
  • What was the initial allegation?
  • The timeline of events
  • The collected testimonies and evidence

The HR consultant will reference the organization’s policies and procedures, and their definition of harassment and bullying in the workplace.

Recommended Resolutions

After that, we provide a list of recommendations for possible paths forward. That could be additional training, counselling for the individuals involved, suspension, or, in the worst-case scenario, termination. Additionally, we can offer guidance on revamping internal policies and procedures.

However, our job is to provide the client with the evidence and our recommendations for resolution, but the client ultimately decides the final outcome.

Closing the Feedback Loop

A critical component of workplace investigations that often gets forgotten is closing the feedback loop and following up with the involved parties. People want closure, especially on sensitive matters that involve them. At this point, we also provide the individual with support options, like counselling or additional training.

All investigations are confidential, but we share what we can. The involved parties deserve to know what actions are being taken, if only for their peace of mind. Accountability is essential; employees deserve to see leadership taking these issues seriously.

Confidential & Respectful Workplace Investigation Consultants

Pivot HR takes great pride in workplace investigations and our ability to uncover the truth. Located in Vancouver and Toronto, Pivot HR is the best choice for Canadian businesses looking to outsource their workplace investigation to a third party. We offer both remote and in-person services to businesses of any size across Canada.

Get in touch with Pivot HR today to learn more about how we can help your Toronto business conduct a workplace investigation.

What Our Clients say about us

“Robin and Mia were both exceptionally professional and responsive and understood our needs. Their work was of great quality. We are a small non-profit organization and we found them very easy and wonderful to work with. Great value and highly recommend.”

~ Joy Masuhara , Co-Chair Women Transforming Cities International Society

“Cindy is a remarkable professional coach, who goes well beyond expectations in supporting her clients’ development. She knows how to ask the right questions and uncover the real and deep issues that contribute to the limitations we put on ourselves. This type of personal exploration is tough work to do alone and remain committed to necessary change. Cindy’s approach and support made this process one of the most impactful experiences of my life, professionally and personally.”

~ Monique Cotton, Firm Administrator, JFK Law Corporation

“As a medium size business with over 100 employees working in very different areas of our operation, Pivot was able to quickly understand our HR needs and offer practical solutions. Robin and the Pivot team worked closely with our Leadership group to implement effective turnkey solutions on time and on budget. We will continue to use Pivot for our ongoing HR needs and would highly recommend their services.”

~ Adam Zubek, General Manager, Point Grey Golf & Country Club

Pivot HR Services provides personalized solutions for our organization’s human resources needs. By engaging their services, we have been able to successfully outsource our HR function, as the Pivot team has demonstrated their ability to understand the HR priorities of our workplace culture and industry.

~ Areef Abraham, Chief Executive Officer Community Power

“Robin developed our employee policy manual with the goal of engaging and retaining our current staff as well as attracting new ones in this highly competitive marketplace. Her in depth knowledge of current legislation and HR policies proved to be of significant benefit. I would highly recommend Robin and the team at Pivot HR Services.”

~ Christopher Soles, President, Nextgen Technologies Ltd.

“Robin has been and continues to be an outstanding resource for our organization to navigate HR issues as we grow. She always approaches problems with professionalism and a keen eye for our best interest. I’d certainly recommend Robin to anyone looking to elevate their HR processes.”

~ Karim Abraham, CEO, Kambo Energy Solutions

“Our firm turned to Robin for advice and guidance at a time when we faced a period of serious difficulty in managing our human resources. She assisted us through the process of putting our relationship with our staff on a stronger, more stable footing and helped us implement a complete overhaul of our human resources policies. We could not be more pleased with the work she has done and continues to do with us.”

~ Robert Janes, QC, Managing Principal JFK Law Corporation

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