The most important questions to ask during internal investigations into employment-related issues
By William R. Horwitz
Florham Park counsel Bill Horwitz authored an article for HR Dive titled, “The most important questions to ask during internal investigations into employment-related issues.” In the article, Bill discusses internal investigations and the key questions an investigator should always ask.
Bill states the most important questions in a witness interview come toward the end and suggests an investigator always ask, “Is there any other information that you think would be helpful for my investigation?” as well as “Other than what you’ve already identified, are you aware of any documents bearing on any of the issues we discussed?”
When interviewing the accuser, Bill encourages asking if he or she has any other complaints, allegations or concerns, while tailoring the question to the situation. If the individual provides any response other than “no,” he advises repeating the question before concluding the interview.
“An individual who has a full and fair opportunity to voice all of his or her concerns to the investigator cannot credibly raise additional allegations in the future, such as in a lawsuit,” Bill writes.
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