How To Investigate A Complaint Of Workplace Bullying

How to investigate a complaint of workplace bullying matters as much as what you find, because a defensible conclusion reached unfairly will not hold.

Four failures undo investigations regularly.

Not putting the allegations properly. The person complained about must know the substance of what is alleged, in enough detail to respond.

Investigating your own decision. Where the conduct complained of includes a management decision, the person who made it cannot assess it.

No terms of reference. Scope drifts, unrelated conduct gets swept in, and the outcome becomes challengeable.

Leaving people in place. Failing to consider interim arrangements while it runs, which exposes the complainant and looks like inaction.

All four are procedural rather than evidential, which is why they catch out organisations that investigated in good faith. The Fair Work Ombudsman covers the framework. This is general information rather than legal advice, and obligations vary by state and territory.

See Sentrient’s bullying course for managers and workplace compliance system.