An employee has come forward with an allegation of quid pro quo harassment by her supervisor. As the HR manager, you are responsible for investigating the complaint. The supervisor in question is someone with whom you have become quite friendly. In this case, who is the best person to conduct the investigation?
- You
- The corporate attorney
- The direct manager of the accused supervisor
- A third-party investigator
Answer(s): D
Explanation:
Answer option D is correct. In this case, the organization will be best served by a third-party investigator. The most important consideration in an investigation of sexual harassment is that the investigator is seen as credible and impartial. Because you have become friendly with the accused, it will be difficult to maintain impartiality during an investigation. While the corporate attorney (B) may be selected to conduct investigations, this solution can lead to conflict-of-interest issues. The direct manager of the accused supervisor (C) may not be viewed as impartial by the accuser or by regulatory agencies. See Chapters 2 and 8 for more information.
Chapter: Employee and Labor Relations
Objective: Federal Employment Legislation