For Employers

Workplace Investigations

Fair, Documented, Defensible

When a concern is raised — harassment, discrimination, misconduct, retaliation — the response has to be thorough, neutral, and above reproach. We conduct workplace investigations that protect everyone involved and produce findings that hold up under scrutiny.

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What This Is

External Investigators With No Internal Stake

A workplace investigation conducted by internal HR or by counsel acting in their advisory capacity is fine for many situations. For others — when neutrality is essential, when the situation involves senior leadership, when an internal investigation would be perceived as compromised, or when the matter requires HR experience your team does not have — an external investigator changes the equation.

We are HR practitioners who have run investigations from inside Fortune 500 organizations and as outside investigators. Our neutrality is not a marketing line; it is the prerequisite for a credible investigation. We have no stake in the outcome — only in the integrity of the process.

What's Included

Investigation Engagement

Harassment and discrimination concern reviews
Misconduct and policy violation inquiries
Retaliation claim reviews
Witness interviews — structured, documented, and conducted with appropriate sensitivity
Document and evidence review (emails, chats, files, calendars, time records)
Detailed written report with factual findings and recommendations
Post-investigation remediation guidance and follow-up
Coordination with your employment counsel where the matter has a legal dimension

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How It Works

A Clear, Defensible Process

1

Intake and Scope

An initial conversation with the requesting authority (HR leadership, in-house counsel, or executive sponsor) to understand the concern, agree on scope, and confirm investigator independence.

2

Interviews and Documentation

Structured interviews with the person who raised the concern, the person it concerns, and witnesses. Document and evidence review. Each interview documented contemporaneously.

3

Findings and Report

A written report with the facts as established, the standard applied (policy, law, both), and findings on each concern raised. Recommendations on remediation are provided separately when requested.

4

Closeout and Follow-Up

Briefing for leadership and counsel. Recommendations on communication to the parties involved. Follow-up touchpoints to verify remediation has held.

The strength of an investigation is the strength of the process. The findings only matter if everyone involved trusts how they were reached.

Common Questions

Investigation Questions

When should we use an external investigator vs. internal HR?

External investigators are the right call when neutrality is essential — when the concern involves senior leadership, when internal HR would be perceived as conflicted, when the matter is high-stakes or high-visibility, or when the situation requires investigation experience your internal team does not have. Most routine concerns can and should be handled internally. We will tell you honestly which category your situation falls into on the first call.

How long does an investigation take?

Most workplace investigations take two to six weeks from intake to final report. Simpler matters (single concern, two or three interviews) run two to three weeks. Complex matters with many witnesses, document-heavy fact patterns, or interlocking concerns can run six to eight weeks. We will give you a realistic timeline at intake.

Are investigation findings privileged?

Investigations conducted by us as HR practitioners are not privileged — we are HR professionals, not attorneys, and our work is not protected by attorney-client privilege. If the matter has dimensions where privilege matters, the review can be commissioned through your employment counsel under their privilege umbrella, with us serving as the investigator. We work alongside counsel regularly in this structure.

What does an investigation cost?

Pricing is scoped to the matter — number of interviews, document volume, and complexity. Active retainer clients receive significantly reduced rates. Free dispute work would compromise our neutrality, so investigations are always priced and scoped before commencement, but the rates for retainer clients reflect the established relationship.

What happens to the employee who raised the concern?

An effective investigation is also a careful one. We protect the dignity and privacy of everyone involved — the person who raised the concern, the person it concerns, and witnesses — to the extent compatible with a thorough review. Retaliation against anyone for participating in good faith is its own concern, and we will flag that risk affirmatively to leadership at intake.

Take the Next Step

When the Investigation Has to Be Above Reproach

A confidential intake call costs nothing. Tell us what is going on and we will tell you whether external investigation is the right call.

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Because all progress begins on Neutral Ground.