Once you’ve finished the legwork of investigating a harassment complaint, your job has just begun. To cover all your bases:
- Make sure you’re really done — Before making any decisions or conclusions, sit down and consider whether there are any questions you haven’t asked or people you haven’t talked to.
- Think about the credibility of each witness — Especially if different people give different stories, you need to make sure you can believe everything that’s been said.
- Follow up with the parties — You don’t need to tell the complainant exactly what action was taken, but telling him or her you handed out some discipline will help avoid complaints that you did nothing.
- Remind managers of your anti-retaliation policy — Make sure managers understand the legal ramifications of treating the complainant negatively after the investigation.
- Keep an eye out — Companies are at risk if they look into a harassment situation but fail to make sure it doesn’t happen again.
