Image Guide to Workplace Investigations Workplace investigations are growing in number, size and complexity. Employers are under greater scrutiny as of the importance of ESG rises. Regulated industries such as finance, healthcare and legal face additional hurdles, but public scrutiny of businesses and how they treat their people across the board has never been higher. Conducting a fair and thorough workplace investigation is therefore critical to the optimal operation, governance and legal exposure of every business. IEL’s Guide to Workplace Investigations examines key issues that organisations need to consider as they initiate, conduct and conclude investigations in 29 major jurisdictions around the world. Learn more about the response taken in specific countries or build your own report to compare approaches taken around the world. Choose countries Choose the countries you want information on, or choose all for the full picture. Select specific jurisdictions to filter on Australia Austria Belgium Brazil China Finland France Germany Greece Hong Kong India Ireland Italy Japan Netherlands Nigeria Philippines Poland Portugal Singapore South Korea Spain Sweden Switzerland Thailand Turkey United Kingdom United States Vietnam Choose questions Choose the questions you would like answering, or choose all for the full picture. Starting an investigation 01. What legislation, guidance and/or policies govern a workplace investigation? 02. How is a workplace investigation usually commenced? 03. Can an employee be suspended during a workplace investigation? Are there any conditions on suspension (eg, pay, duration)? 04. Who should conduct a workplace investigation, are there minimum qualifications or criteria that need to be met? 05. Can the employee under investigation bring legal action to stop the investigation? Evidence gathering 06. Can co-workers be compelled to act as witnesses? What legal protections do employees have when acting as witnesses in an investigation? 07. What data protection or other regulations apply when gathering physical evidence? 08. Can the employer search employees’ possessions or files as part of an investigation? 09. What additional considerations apply when the investigation involves whistleblowing? Confidentiality and privilege 10. What confidentiality obligations apply during an investigation? 11. What information must the employee under investigation be given about the allegations against them? 12. Can the identity of the complainant, witnesses or sources of information for the investigation be kept confidential? 13. Can non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) be used to keep the fact and substance of an investigation confidential? 14. When does privilege attach to investigation materials? Rights to representation 15. Does the employee under investigation have a right to be accompanied or have legal representation during the investigation? 16. If there is a works council or trade union, does it have any right to be informed or involved in the investigation? 17. What other support can employees involved in the investigation be given? Issues during the investigation 18. What if unrelated matters are revealed as a result of the investigation? 19. What if the employee under investigation raises a grievance during the investigation? 20. What if the employee under investigation goes off sick during the investigation? 21. How do you handle a parallel criminal and/or regulatory investigation? Outcome of investigation 22. What must the employee under investigation be told about the outcome of an investigation? 23. Should the investigation report be shared in full, or just the findings? 24. What next steps are available to the employer? 25. Who can (or must) the investigation findings be disclosed to? Does that include regulators/police? Can the interview records be kept private, or are they at risk of disclosure? 26. How long should the outcome of the investigation remain on the employee’s record? 27. What legal exposure could the employer face for errors during the investigation? Download your results as a PDF Save to PDF Contributing editors First Name Phil Linnard, Law firm Slaughter and May First Name Clare Fletcher, Law firm Slaughter and May Contributors First Name Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium First Name Joydeep Hor, People + Culture Strategies, Australia First Name Kirryn West James, People + Culture Strategies, Australia First Name Chris Oliver, People + Culture Strategies , Australia First Name Wynne Mok, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Jason Cheng, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Audrey Li, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Chisako Takaya, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Japan First Name Henric Diefke, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Tobias Normann, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Alexandra Baron, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Laura Widmer, Bär & Karrer , Switzerland First Name Sandra Schaffner, Bär & Karrer , Switzerland First Name Ratthai Kamolwarin, Chandler MHM , Thailand First Name Norrapat Werajong, Chandler MHM, Thailand First Name Phil Linnard, Slaughter and May, United Kingdom First Name Clare Fletcher, Slaughter and May, United Kingdom First Name Hendrik Bockenheimer, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Susanne Walzer, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Musa Müjdeci, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Sergio Ponce , Uría Menéndez , Spain First Name Daniel Cerrutti, Uría Menéndez , Spain First Name Elvan Aziz, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Gülce Saydam Pehlivan , Paksoy, Turkey First Name Emre Kotil, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Osman Pepeoğlu, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Atul Gupta, Trilegal, India First Name Kanishka Maggon, Trilegal, India First Name Kopal Kumar, Trilegal, India First Name Anu Waaralinna, Roschier, Finland First Name Mari Mohsen, Roschier, Finland First Name Rachel G. Skaistis, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Eric W. Hilfers, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Jenny X. Zhang, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Jonathan Yuen, Rajah & Tann Singapore , Singapore First Name Doreen Chia , Rajah & Tann Singapore, Singapore First Name Tan Ting Ting, Rajah & Tann , Singapore First Name Hyunjae Park, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Paul Cho, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Jihay Ellie Kwack , Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Kyson Keebong Paek, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Adekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, Nigeria First Name Pascale Lagesse, Bredin Prat, France First Name Valentino Armillei, Bredin Prat, France First Name André Pestana Nascimento, Uría Menéndez - Proença de Carvalho, Portugal First Name Giovanni Muzina , BonelliErede, Italy First Name Arianna Colombo , BonelliErede, Italy First Name Barbara Kloppert, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Netherlands First Name Mirjam Kerkhof , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Netherlands First Name Roel de Jong , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek , Netherlands First Name Rashel Ann C. Pomoy, Villaraza & Angangco, Philippines First Name Angeliki Tsatsi, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Anna Pechlivanidi, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Pinelopi Anyfanti, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Katerina Basta, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Wioleta Polak, WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Aleksandra Stępniewska , WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Julia Jewgraf, WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Patricia Barboza, CGM, Brazil First Name Maury Lobo, CGM, Brazil First Name Stephen Le, Le & Tran Law Corporation, Vietnam First Name Trang Le, Le & Tran Law Corporation, Vietnam First Name Michaela Gerlach, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Sonia Ben Brahim, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Bláthnaid Evans, Ogier, Ireland First Name Mary Gavin, Ogier, Ireland First Name Leo Yu, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Yvonne Gao, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Tracy Liu, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Larry Lian, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China Contributors First Name Nicolas Simon, Van Olmen & Wynant, Belgium First Name Joydeep Hor, People + Culture Strategies, Australia First Name Kirryn West James, People + Culture Strategies, Australia First Name Chris Oliver, People + Culture Strategies , Australia First Name Wynne Mok, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Jason Cheng, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Audrey Li, Slaughter and May, Hong Kong First Name Chisako Takaya, Mori Hamada & Matsumoto, Japan First Name Henric Diefke, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Tobias Normann, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Alexandra Baron, Mannheimer Swartling, Sweden First Name Laura Widmer, Bär & Karrer , Switzerland First Name Sandra Schaffner, Bär & Karrer , Switzerland First Name Ratthai Kamolwarin, Chandler MHM , Thailand First Name Norrapat Werajong, Chandler MHM, Thailand First Name Phil Linnard, Slaughter and May, United Kingdom First Name Clare Fletcher, Slaughter and May, United Kingdom First Name Hendrik Bockenheimer, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Susanne Walzer, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Musa Müjdeci, Hengeler Mueller, Germany First Name Sergio Ponce , Uría Menéndez , Spain First Name Daniel Cerrutti, Uría Menéndez , Spain First Name Elvan Aziz, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Gülce Saydam Pehlivan , Paksoy, Turkey First Name Emre Kotil, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Osman Pepeoğlu, Paksoy, Turkey First Name Atul Gupta, Trilegal, India First Name Kanishka Maggon, Trilegal, India First Name Kopal Kumar, Trilegal, India First Name Anu Waaralinna, Roschier, Finland First Name Mari Mohsen, Roschier, Finland First Name Rachel G. Skaistis, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Eric W. Hilfers, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Jenny X. Zhang, Cravath, Swaine & Moore, United States First Name Jonathan Yuen, Rajah & Tann Singapore , Singapore First Name Doreen Chia , Rajah & Tann Singapore, Singapore First Name Tan Ting Ting, Rajah & Tann , Singapore First Name Hyunjae Park, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Paul Cho, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Jihay Ellie Kwack , Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Kyson Keebong Paek, Kim & Chang, South Korea First Name Adekunle Obebe, Bloomfield LP, Nigeria First Name Pascale Lagesse, Bredin Prat, France First Name Valentino Armillei, Bredin Prat, France First Name André Pestana Nascimento, Uría Menéndez - Proença de Carvalho, Portugal First Name Giovanni Muzina , BonelliErede, Italy First Name Arianna Colombo , BonelliErede, Italy First Name Barbara Kloppert, De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Netherlands First Name Mirjam Kerkhof , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek, Netherlands First Name Roel de Jong , De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek , Netherlands First Name Rashel Ann C. Pomoy, Villaraza & Angangco, Philippines First Name Angeliki Tsatsi, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Anna Pechlivanidi, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Pinelopi Anyfanti, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Katerina Basta, Karatzas & Partners, Greece First Name Wioleta Polak, WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Aleksandra Stępniewska , WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Julia Jewgraf, WKB Lawyers, Poland First Name Patricia Barboza, CGM, Brazil First Name Maury Lobo, CGM, Brazil First Name Stephen Le, Le & Tran Law Corporation, Vietnam First Name Trang Le, Le & Tran Law Corporation, Vietnam First Name Michaela Gerlach, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Sonia Ben Brahim, GERLACH Rechtsanwälte, Austria First Name Bláthnaid Evans, Ogier, Ireland First Name Mary Gavin, Ogier, Ireland First Name Leo Yu, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Yvonne Gao, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Tracy Liu, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China First Name Larry Lian, Jingtian & Gongcheng, China