When to Conduct a Workplace Review or Audit

Sometimes a decision is required to proceed by review, audit or investigation. (Contact HR Proactive Inc. for assistance.)

When a worker comes forward with timely allegations that on their face would indicate discrimination, harassment or violence in the workplace, an investigation must be completed. (See HR Proactive Inc.’s Investigation Services.)

In other cases, their may be a rumour or vague concerns. There may be an indication of some dysfunction in the workplace, e.g. worker cliques, scapegoating, or workers avoiding other workers. Occupational health and safety law still requires employers to act, but without necessarily requiring the adversarial process (complainant vs. respondent) of an investigation. A focused audit informed by the history can identify and address the underlying issues.

There is also a strong argument for a healthy check-up, i.e. a workplace review. Periodically reviewing an apparently healthy workplace again can help to reveal any issues and resolve them before they become more problematic.

Employers must be prepared for uncomfortable outcomes. It is HR Proactive’s experience that sometimes very specific allegations arise during reviews and audits, for example, of sexual harassment. It may be necessary to pivot mid-process to an investigation, including putting allegations to an individual respondent and allowing them to reply. This is necessary where discipline is a possibility. In these situations, HR Proactive consults with the employer regarding how to proceed.

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