If you are working towards creating a positive work culture, then having a streamlined process for handling employee complaints is a must. Depending on the federal/state/local regulations overseeing your workplace, you may have to incorporate specific policies and educate employees on your complaint process. Not all employee complaints will require a formal investigation, but all complaints will need to have documented responses and follow-up with the complainant.
Here are 5 employee complaints requiring an investigation:
- Sexual harassment, which should not be a surprise to anyone in 2024. What I find surprising is the confusion regarding what qualifies as sexual harassment. While most people may know the worst forms of egregious sexual harassment, I often find subtle forms tolerated until some other form of behavior brings less obvious offences to light. I encourage employees to report any kind of harassment so there is a better chance of correcting behavior and maintaining relationships.
- Racial harassment, unfortunately there is still a prevalence of racial tensions and aggressions in the workplace. Again, I like to address racial intolerance at the microaggression level so behavior can be modified, and the workplace can be a positive environment.
- Intentional safety violation, this is a rare complaint as most employers understand the cost of safety violations and find it in their best interest to promote a safe work environment. OSHA and your workers’ compensation insurance carrier can provide excellent training and safety policy resources.
- Hostile environment, employees are becoming less tolerant of harsh and bullying behavior in the workplace. Most of the complaints I have processed would fall into this category, but very few require an investigation. Many hostile work complaints are a result of clashing personalities and work styles. Regardless of the complaint rising to an investigation level, I will usually process the complaint like an investigation to ensure proper training and communication occurs with all parties.
- Retaliation, this is the largest number of claims processed against employers according to the EEOC. A good workplace investigation process will include proactive items to prevent retaliation from occurring, but it can be hard to curb if the organization does not have a positive work environment.
There are many more types of complaints which can generate a workplace investigation, but these are the top five most organizations will encounter. Workplace investigations can look different depending on the issue. I like having a policy of investigating every employee complaint so all issues can be addressed quickly, and employees can have confidence in the process.
Contact the PeopleOps Strategy team if you would like to discuss strategies for designing complaint policies and/or would like to discuss a third-party workplace investigation.
