COURSE OVERVIEW:
Welcome to the Conduct a Workplace Investigation course. This program will equip you with the knowledge, structure, and practical skills required to conduct fair, thorough, and defensible workplace investigations. You will develop an understanding of the investigative process from initial information gathering through to final reporting, allowing you to manage complaints, allegations, and incidents with confidence, professionalism, and procedural integrity. This course also emphasises impartiality, accurate documentation, and evidence-based decision-making to ensure that investigative outcomes are consistent, transparent, and compliant with organisational obligations.
This course begins by examining the importance of workplace investigations and why timely action is essential to preserving evidence, maintaining safety, and protecting the rights of all parties involved. You will explore how to gather information effectively and why you should get started right away, along with strategies for conducting effective interviews that allow you to obtain reliable, factual accounts. This section also explains why investigators must keep an open mind during interviews, why personal opinions must be withheld, and how focusing on the facts ensures a fair and unbiased investigative process.
The next learning area focuses on interview techniques and the structured approach needed to interview different parties. You will explore how to find out about other witnesses or evidence and how to document your interviews in a consistent and objective manner. This section also covers how to interview the complaining employee, how to interview the accused employee, and how to interview witnesses, including the methods that help build trust, encourage honesty, and obtain relevant information. You will further explore how to interview nonemployees when their accounts are relevant to the investigation, ensuring professionalism and consistency across all interview types.
A further section examines evidence collection and verification. You will explore how to gather other evidence beyond interviewsโsuch as documents, digital records, physical materials, or environmental observationsโand how to conduct follow-up interviews when new information emerges. This section also addresses how to make and document your decision, how to evaluate the evidence objectively, and how to decide whether misconduct occurred by applying clear, defensible standards of proof.
The program then explores decision-making and post-investigation actions. You will examine how to take action when there is no misconduct, when the results are inconclusive, or when misconduct is confirmed. This section explains what factors to consider when determining appropriate corrective action, including fairness, proportionality, organisational policy, and risk. You will also explore how to prepare a clear, factual, and comprehensive investigation report and what goes into the investigation file to ensure records are complete and audit-ready.
The final area focuses on post-decision follow-through and accountability. You will examine how to verify corrective actions and monitor compliance, ensuring that the organisation follows through on recommendations and reduces the likelihood of future issues. This step reinforces the importance of closing the loop on investigations to support organisational learning, improved safety, and stronger workplace behaviours.
By the end of this course you will be able to conduct impartial and effective workplace investigations, gather and evaluate evidence systematically, interview all relevant parties with confidence, make defensible findings, document decisions clearly, and ensure corrective actions are implemented consistently and appropriately.
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
By the end of this course, you will be able to understand:
- The importance of workplace investigations
- How to gather information?
- Why you should get started right away?
- How to conduct effective interviews?
- Why keep an open mind during interviews?
- Why keep your opinions to yourself?
- How to focus on the facts?
- How to find out about other witnesses or evidence?
- How to document your interviews?
- How to interview the complaining employee?
- How to interview the accused employee?
- How to interview witnesses?
- How to interview nonemployees?
- How to gather other evidence?
- How to follow-up interviews?
- How to make and document your decision?
- How to evaluate the evidence?
- How to decide whether misconduct occurred?
- How to take action in case of no misconduct, inconclusive results or misconduct?
- What factors to consider when trying to decide on an appropriate corrective action?
- How to prepare an investigation report?
- What goes in the investigation file?
- How to verify corrective actions?
COURSE DURATION:
The typical duration of this course is approximately 2-3 hours to complete. Your enrolment is Valid for 12 Months. Start anytime and study at your own pace.
ASSESSMENT:
A simple 10-question true or false quiz with Unlimited Submission Attempts.
CERTIFICATION:
Upon course completion, you will receive a customised digital โCertificate of Completionโ.