Where’s the report?
It happens all the time. I get to the end of an investigation and provide my findings. The client reads it over, thinks about it, and decides what to do. Sometimes there is disciplinary action […]
Lessons for HR directors from the Kyle Beach story
A few weeks ago, the only folks who might recognize the name Kyle Beach would be his friends, family, and his teammates in Germany. Possibly a few passionate hockey fans. Today, he is at the […]
The Duty to Investigate vs. Management’s Right to Manage
A Collision Course or Two Ships Passing in the Night? Many investigations involve claims of harassment which are linked to management decisions that staff/complainants do not like and may even cause significant aggravation…but those decisions […]
Are you fluent in body language?
He lied. Did you see it? He moved his eyes side-to-side. What a shifty liar. Oh look, she’s lying too; she’s fidgeting like crazy. I don’t know what they’re lying about because I wasn’t paying […]
Welcome back Larissa Donovan!
I am pleased to welcome Larissa Donovan back as an articling student. Larissa will be working with me on workplace investigations, mediations, and a variety of other legal services. Since she last summered with me, […]
Ask the experts: Two of my executives hate each other and bicker constantly. What should I do?
First of all, ditch your denial and acknowledge their feud absolutely has effects—not just on the executives, but on everybody else in the organization. “When two senior people fight, the rest of the staff naturally […]
Workplace Investigations During a Pandemic: Three Things We Have Learned
Most of our work is with municipalities and various types of professional offices, so Zoom video conferences usually work well. But what happens when the complainants, respondents, and witnesses are public works staff or other […]
Even the online workplace has conflict
Life certainly has changed a lot in recent weeks. If you’re lucky, your only concern is avoiding COVID-19. Others may have greater concerns, such as keeping our businesses running, caring for children or parents, lost […]
Procedural Fairness in Workplace Investigations
Is your organization taking procedural fairness seriously? Failing to do so could cost you if mediation or investigations are not conducted properly.
Duty to Investigate – “A Ticking Time Bomb”
Recently, I was retained to conduct two workplace harassment investigations related to employee complaints against senior management. Both investigations were initiated by complaints that were made to the Ministry of Labour well after the employee left […]