by Carie McMichael | Jul 13, 2022 | Human Resources
Having a great human resources team in place can make any executive feel as if they can take on the world. It makes sense that investing in dedicated employees who ensure that the caliber of your recruitment and training initiatives remain gold standard is a solid choice. But when the time comes to conduct a pivotal HR investigation, it’s crucial to ask the question: is your human resources team as impartial as you need them to be to protect your best interests?
Conducting corporate investigations often represents a minefield for leadership. Whether the issue on the table is workplace harassment, FMLA fraud, employee theft, or any number of other unwelcome occurrences, the steps you take next hold the power to elevate or undo your company’s standing.
Indeed, one misstep can set a course for litigation in relation to unfair dismissal or retaliation. If the current unfolding crisis is destined to lead you and your interests into the courtroom, even the faintest whiff of a lack of objectivity may well be your undoing. So lets look at the questions that you must ask yourself before leaving delicate matters in the sole hands of your HR team.
How Objective Are Your HR Staff Really?
When various departments share a single workplace, or even encounter each other on training and team-building days, bonds can be formed that might later cloud judgment and manifest as bias. What might that bias look like? Let’s explore some examples:
- Confirmation Bias
When your HR team has pre-formed beliefs about those they need to investigate—as is often the case when relationships have been formed—they may be prone to ignore crucial information that does not fit with what they believe to be true, and more likely to cherry-pick information that supports that bias. - Bandwagon Bias
Sometimes also referred to as in-group bias, this tendency results in co-workers adopting an “us versus the world” mentality that result in favorable perception of those within the group and adoption of dominant shared beliefs or statements whether correct or not. - Halo Effect Bias
The halo effect is often seen following a bad hire, making it a risk-factor within any HR department. In these instances, positive traits become the defining factor of an individual and overshadow clear evidence of wrongdoing on their part. - Anchoring Bias
This common form of cognitive bias sees untrained HR investigators become anchored to a conclusion that evidence gathered early in the investigation seemed to justify, and the inability to pivot towards a more accurate conclusion as more facts are presented. - Status Quo Bias
When an HR department looses its capacity to function dynamically with stale systems becoming habitually ingrained, status quo bias can manifest as resistance to the change that a critical HR investigation may warrant. The results of this unintentional negligence can be catastrophic as a dangerous course is continually justified.
Only One Chance to Get This Right
An HR investigation is a serious undertaking, and while training a team to handle such matters can be strategically advantageous, so too can be bringing in a skilled external corporate investigator to ensure that objectivity always remains intact. Corporate investigations experts from Lauth Investigations International can provide powerful impartial support to any weighty HR investigation, intricately analyzing facts to ensure accurate, evidenced, and legally sound conclusions are drawn.
Simultaneously, a professional corporate investigator can lift the burden of an HR investigation from shoulders that are already carrying a full workload. Our seasoned investigators are adept at mounting an efficient search for the truth, drawing upon skills that include specialist interviewing techniques, digital forensics, access to verified databases used by law enforcement, and much more.
We can diligently and discreetly unveil the facts while ensuring minimal disruption to operations that may already be exhibiting signs of strain—all while delivering an impartial results that protects your organization on the road ahead. Would you like to know more about how a corporate investigator from Lauth Investigations International can support your next HR investigation? Contact our team today and mitigate the risks of bias to your business.
by Carie McMichael | Jul 11, 2022 | Corporate Investigations
Conceptually, the anonymity of whistleblowers is a good thing. Brave souls who risk it all to speak truth to power and ensure that justice is done—a noble mantle indeed. However, at times the picture can become a little more murky and the lines of morality more ambiguous. What if the claims made by a whistleblower are factually false, or perhaps even the individual in question has made erroneous claims out of a malicious desire to hurt the company in question?
Any CEO or business owner would certainly want to know if something nefarious was happening within their team on their watch. However, in particular instances, they may wish to identify a whistleblower in an effort to enact swift damage control. The actions taken by any business or organization in this position must be legally sound and strategically deft if an escalation of the situation is to be avoided. In times such as these, a private investigator specializing in corporate investigations can be the ultimate ally in finding a whistleblower and setting the record straight.
The Complexities of Whistleblower Retaliation
While there are a diversity of legal protections in place for whistleblowers in the United States, they can vary greatly depending on the industry and unlawful activity in question, as well as from state to state. For any company intent on finding a whistleblower and taking action, it is important to seek accurate guidance on a course that will not result in litigation down the road.
On the other side of the same coin, perceived whistleblowers who aim to cause intentional harm to the organization they blow the whistle on can not only turn to various federal agencies to secure confidentiality protection, but they can even hope to gain a financial reward for their disclosure from an authority like the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. In such an environment, companies need to have their wits about them and mitigation plans in place.
Navigating What Comes Next After Finding a Whistleblower
A survey of whistleblowers conducted by the Bradley University Center for Cybersecurity revealed that nearly two thirds experienced some form of retaliation from their employers, such as termination, negative performance evaluation, industry blacklisting, and forced retirement. While legitimate whistleblowers facing such actions may be able to counter retaliation with legal action, this is not guaranteed. Notably, when businesses are able to demonstrate that the employee’s accusations were knowingly false or their behavior overstepped the defensible bounds of conduct, those protections may quickly be lost.
For a company in crisis, turning to a private investigator who specializes in navigating the corporate world is an excellent tactic. The private investigator will be able not only to investigate the identity of the whistleblower in question but gather evidence as to whether their accusations are founded or falsified. Taking this proactive step can help a business lessen the brunt of the impact that a whistleblower incident can make to their reputation.
Whether the outcome of finding a whistleblower with the help of a private investigator is being ahead of the criminal behavior that the accusation relates to or demonstrating that the whistleblower’s actions are inauthentic, it means taking a stronger position than would be realized by taking no action at all. If your organization is standing on the edge of such a precipice and wondering which move to make next, contact Lauth Investigations today for expert, impartial advice on navigation and resolution of an active whistleblower complaint.
by Carie McMichael | Jul 7, 2022 | Corporate Culture
Within the go-getter world of business, it may seem contradictory that an ethical outlook is essential for success. The hard truth is that when unethical attitudes are adopted in the name of profit, any progress will usually be undermined when the inevitable fallout finally comes knocking. That’s why it’s so important to be familiar not only with the legal hot water that poor business ethics can land you in, but also the brunt that will be born by your team, your company reputation, and ultimately your long term prospects. Read on to discover the need-to-knows on business ethics plus what to do if your organization’s morals have already gone astray.
Bad Business Ethics and Legal Repercussions
A range of laws established and enacted by federal and state governments operate as an ethical safety rail, protecting the economy and America’s citizens from the damage that can be done when business ethics go out the window. Of course, at times larger companies may decide that breaching these laws and paying the associated fines is profitable enough to leave their morals at the door. However, these kinds of decisions often result ultimately in criminal charges and litigation that may eventually even sink the ship. The question is, would you see the iceberg coming in time to course correct?
Poor Business Ethics Are a Poisoned Pill For Corporate Culture
There is nothing like spiraling ethics to destabilize the strength of a team and undermine employee performance, and yet the recent Global Ethics Survey revealed that pressure on U.S. employees to compromise their standards is the highest it has ever been. The sad fact of the matter is that without clear parameters within which to operate, employees can quickly step into loose cannon shoes, disregarding essential protocols and making costly errors in the name of proving their worth. Simultaneously, other employees who see colleagues or leaders bending and breaking the rules are likely to become demoralized. Team-wide trust can quickly be dismantled, with collaboration and creativity sacrificed in the name of hitting short-term targets.
This kind of disengagement and mistrust can rapidly set the stage for an acceleration of things like employee theft, malingering, workplace bullying, and even white collar crime. High-caliber employees who operate with integrity won’t stick around in such an environment, so turnover can be the next sign that the hull of your business ethics vessel has been breached. At this juncture, damage to corporate culture can begin to manifest very much like an infection, with knock-on impacts seen in every area, and complaints and losses leaving leadership and HR running around in circles.
A Crisis In How Your Company is Perceived
With information sharing on social media at an all time high and review sites like Glassdoor growing increasingly popular, you can be certain that news of a business ethics crisis won’t remain under wraps for long. In an era that sees consumers value integrity more than ever when choosing where to invest their hard-earned dollars, the repercussions can be severe is your company’s credibility comes crashing down. Once this particular dam has burst, restoring consumer confidence can be a lengthy and costly undertaking. The key is to strike while the iron is hot—if you know that business ethics are not up to standard within your organization, act now to ensure that the many potential impacts of unethical activities are not allowed to ripple outwards.
How a Corporate Investigator Can Help You Get Business Ethics Back on Track
Many corporate leaders imagine that corporate investigation services are something to call on when crisis point has already been reached and a breach or crime has occurred. While it’s true that this kind of reactive investigative work is a facet of what we do, the corporate investigator also has a powerful role to play in risk prevention and pursuit of optimal performance. Business ethics and corporate culture are intricately interlinked, and an investigation into one will almost always shed light on the state of the other.
For any company wishing to raise their business ethics profile—whether aiming to prevent a downward spiral or mitigate damage already done—a Corporate Culture Audit is the best place to start. Our expert corporate investigators will illuminate the root causes that undermined your enterprise’s ethical status in the first place, and help you steer a course toward forging a thriving corporate culture that ensures productivity, innovation, and progress in all the right ways. Learn more about our comprehensive corporate auditing services today, or connect with our team to discuss your unique needs.
by Carie McMichael | Jul 6, 2022 | White Collar Crime
For any company with precious assets and interests to safeguard, fortifying the ramparts against external threats is a given—but what happens when the true dangers lurk within? White collar crime occurring under the radar often leaves a trail of devastation in its wake. Making matters worse, the greater the position of trust enjoyed by the perpetrators, the more substantial the damage is likely to be.
In truth, the extent of white collar crime across the US remains an unknown—loosely estimated to be anywhere between $426 billion and $1.7 trillion annually—because data suggests that as many as 90% of white-collar crimes go unreported. Simultaneously, prosecutions continue to drop, having plummeted by more than 50% since 2011. So, how can you ensure that your organization doesn’t simply become one of these sinister statistics?
Covert corporate investigations can help you identify the white collar criminal and stop them in their tracks. From stemming the flow of financial haemorrhaging to gathering enough evidence to take swift legal action, a corporate investigator from Lauth Investigations International will serve as your secret weapon against white collar crime.
What Constitutes White Collar Crime?
If you think that your leadership team doesn’t warrant scrutiny, think again. The types of white collar crime that our investigators regularly encounter are diverse in nature. Bad actors with data and assets at their fingertips can soon dip into nefarious activities such as securities fraud, insurance fraud, insider trading, money laundering, embezzlement, bribery, tax evasion, Ponzi schemes, identify theft, and more.
What’s worse is that a company operating under a veil of naivety will not only be vulnerable to substantial financial losses, but also potential implication in illegal activity that may lead to a quagmire of investigations and litigation. The key to avoiding such an unwelcome destiny is constant evaluation of security protocols and taking deft action whenever the faintest aroma rises that something might be amiss.
Why You Might Call on Covert Corporate Investigations Services
Preventive measures to keep white collar crime at bay include conducting regular Corporate Culture Audits, threat assessments, and comprehensive employee background checks. These tactics can dramatically reduce the risk that a member—or members—of your team are about to go rogue. However, when warning signs begin to appear, covert corporate investigations become the best resource in your toolkit for nipping white collar criminality in the bud.
Examples of these raise-the-alarm indicators include finding evidence of losses but being unable to trace their cause, receiving a tip on criminal activity but lacking the detail to address it, becoming aware of worrying evolution of departmental team dynamics, or pervasive divergence from company policy within the behaviours of employees. At times, the signs that all is not well are obvious, but at others, following an instinctive hunch that something is amiss can mean the difference between taking swift disciplinary action and moving smoothly on, or being overwhelmed under the weight of an escalating legal fallout.
Covert Corporate Investigations From Lauth Investigations International
Our seasoned and objective undercover operators are experts at quickly blending in within any corporate environment, adopting the role of a new recruit before tracking and evidencing all of the information required to identify a white collar crime perpetrator and mount an effective counter offensive. Their speciality is illuminating the unseen within your organization, drawing not only on covert corporate penetration tactics but also cutting-edge surveillance technology and licenced access to verified law enforcement-favored databases.
Covert corporate investigations are not only ideal for revealing the facts of a white collar crime as quickly as possible, but also ensuring that navigating this internal threat is done discreetly, protecting your organization’s operations from the substantial disruption that can occur when an unmitigated crisis takes hold. If you are concerned about white collar crime within your teams, we are ready to assist. Connect with our corporate investigations specialists today and protect your assets and integrity from internal dangers.
by Carie McMichael | Jul 5, 2022 | Corporate Investigations, Investigations
Inevitably, certain types of workplace wrongdoing warrant an overt investigation—when it’s in the company’s best interests to take a stance of transparency when taking steps to rectify the issue at hand. But in others instances, keeping your investigation under wraps can ultimately be the only way to mitigate damage, catch wrongdoers in the act, and prevent an escalation of impact to company reputation and financial standing. In these moments, a corporate investigator well versed in launching efficient and sound undercover investigations is the crucial ally you need in your corner.
When evidence suggests that something nefarious is bubbling under the surface of your organization’s operations, there is always a risk that what you have detected is only the tip of the iceberg. To gain a sense of the scale of the issue, it’s important to recognize that 90% of all significant theft losses within the corporate world come from employees—and that’s only one within a spectrum of immoral activities that could be happening right under your nose.
Factors such as eroded company culture, patterns of workplace theft, malingering, and even catastrophic white collar crime often go undetected by leadership for months until untold damage has been done. The salve to such risks is proactive and discreet action taken at the right time, offering the potential to thwart the misappropriation of company assets and resources. If you find yourself wondering what you are missing in your workplace, Lauth Investigations International is ready to assist.
The Types of Workplace Wrongdoing That Undercover Investigations Bring to Light
Whenever an employer has a clear sense of conduct violations or even criminality taking place under their roof—or simply has a suspicion that all is not as it should be—undercover investigations can reveal far more of what takes place in the workplace than any other form of surveillance.
A highly trained covert corporate operative will be able to accurately evidence the things that your security systems and CCTV have missed, including issues such as product or property theft, fraud and forgery, idling and malingering, substance-abuse, bullying and discrimination, non-compete violations, safety and security issues, and much more beside.
A phenomenal amount of evidence gathering can take place with zero disruption to the workplace or any indication to wrongdoers that their actions are being monitored. Once the covert operation is concluded, further formal corporate investigations, disciplinary procedures, and legal action can be taken with confidence that the material evidence is in place to back every step up.
Why Undercover Investigations Are So Effective
Whether an employee’s actions are intentionally criminal or dangerously negligent, an admission of guilt is never something that will simply arrive on your desk. As soon as the individual or individuals in question sense that they are under the microscope, in all likelihood they will quickly rally to cover their tracks. This makes overt corporate investigations a risky pursuit, as HR quickly find themselves running up against dead ends, unable to pinpoint the source of accumulated losses.
In contrast, a covert investigation undertaken with the assistance of undercover investigations specialists from Lauth Investigations International ensures the means to cast a spotlight on the facts before they move forever into the shadows. Whether the result is confirmation of your fears and the opportunity to correct them justly, or the confidence that trust in your team is something that you can afford to indulge, undercover investigations provide ultimate peace of mind. If faith has been compromised at your workplace and you suspect that all is not as it should be, reach out to our team today for tailored advice on the best way to proceed.
