From our base in the heart of central Indiana, members of the Lauth Investigations team periodically find ourselves heading out to support a diversity of corporate entities as they navigate a workplace discrimination investigation. For any business owner – be their enterprise small of vast – the idea that workplace discrimination might be festering is a dreaded one indeed. Under such circumstances, our dedicated private investigators are poised to help.
We all want to know that our employees feel valued and welcome, and that HR compliance is ever top-notch. However, despite the best of intentions, getting caught out by a workplace discrimination complaint is not uncommon. In these moments, what truly matters is navigating the necessary investigation that follows with diligence and integrity. Expert private investigators can provide just the skills and experience required to ensure that your investigative process doesn’t miss a beat, that justice is done, and that the reputation of your business is upheld.
The Many Forms and Faces of Workplace Discrimination
Working to help organizations in Indianapolis and further afield ensure best propriety practices, we do sadly encounter discriminatory behavior in many different forms. Fundamentally, workplace discrimination means curtailing career opportunities or negatively impacting the professional life of an employee or colleague based on their color, race, religion, national origin, age, sex, handicap, or marital status. While some workplace discrimination may be very much intentional, at other times, perpetrators may even be unaware that they are acting inappropriately or breaching conduct protocols.
Whether innocent or not, workplace discrimination can fall foul of both Federal and State employment and labor laws, meaning that consequences can be serious for perpetrators and their superiors alike. When driven by discriminatory factors, what might workplace discrimination actually look like? An individual being discriminated against may find themselves at a disadvantage in terms of salary, professional opportunities, or working conditions. They may experience harassment or victimization, and may be denied legally protected rights or be subjected to retaliation if they complain.
Remaining alert to indicators of workplace discrimination is vital for any organization, as is understanding the letter of the law. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects all individuals against workplace discrimination on the basis of religion, sex, national origin, race, or color. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 safeguards the rights of individuals with disabilities, while the Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967
protects those over the age of 40 from age-related discrimination.
Advantages in the Decision to Hire a Private Investigator
Because of the gravity of workplace discrimination complaints, the decision to hire a private investigator can offer a multitude of protections and assurances. Self-conducting internal investigations of this nature can put a heavy strain on those who work alongside both the complainant and accused. This can lead to emotional fallout, a negative impact on team performance, and difficulty in ensuring the impartiality of conclusions drawn.
In contrast, an experienced investigator, seasoned in meticulously gathering evidence and questioning all parties with care and neutrality, can help to provide peace of mind to all who surround a workplace discrimination investigation. They can ensure the integrity of the investigation – offering guidance that will stand up to legal scrutiny, and even providing court testimony should the need arise.
For an employer of any scale, taking a clear and moral stance while demonstrating the capacity to conduct fair investigations is always a prudent move. Contemporary consumers and professionals alike look first to businesses who are forward thinking, with compassion evident as a core value. While a workplace discrimination complaint may seem like the worst that could happen, any opportunity – no matter how challenging – to elevate the way a business operates will ultimately prove valuable. The Corporate Investigations team at Lauth HQ in Indianapolis are ready to serve those in central Indiana and far beyond. Contact us to learn more about how we can assist today.
For many, the thought of professional investigators tends to bring two mental images to mind. We either picture the intrepid private investigator on the trail of a missing person or cheating spouse; or – at the other end of the spectrum – we imagine substantial corporate investigations, perhaps sniffing out endemic white-collar crime or embezzlement within vast multinationals. Based on what many have seen in the media, private investigator services seem to only have certain applications.
But, truth be told, a substantial space remains in between these two scenarios with no less of a need. For a diversity of business owners in Indianapolis – and across Indiana at large – recognizing the power that investigative services can offer means access to a wealth of potentially rewarding resources.
Private investigator services can deliver meaningful value and tangible results for businesses of any scale and within any industry. If you have the sense that there is reason to be concerned about the financial, interpersonal, or intellectual property health of your business, a corporate or criminal private investigator could be exactly the ally you need.
Not only can the most skilled investigators sleuth out the truth of a problem already on your radar, but they can also shine a light on how to bolster your business vitals for enhanced performance. Are you curious to know more about what Lauth Investigations might do for your business? Read on to discover some of the untapped potential at your fingertips!
Conducting Impartial Investigations
There are a myriad of different scenarios that can trigger us to conclude that an investigation is warranted. From a restaurant owner who suspects employee substance abuse, to an HR manager who has received a harassment complaint; knowing how to navigate a situation in which some of the facts remain murky is tricky – especially from an inside perspective. In these moments, reaching towards trusted and local private investigator services can ensure that whatever happens next remains impartial.
When crime or misconduct of any kind occurs within a business or corporate environment, the burden of conducting investigations can put an immense amount of strain on a team that would otherwise be focused on driving success. Lifting this burden from your core team both protects their well-being while safeguarding the integrity of investigation results.
You’ll always want to ensure that the results of any investigation impact your business in a positive way – whether that’s making sure that discipline or dismissal won’t later draw legal repercussions, or being able to present a strong body of evidence when reporting a crime. In all of these areas, professional investigators from Lauth Investigations are poised to ensure constructive outcomes for all who seek them in Indianapolis, and beyond.
Uncovering the Information You Need
So, what kinds of scenarios might warrant calling in the experts? The types of private investigator services you require might include conducting research into employee misconduct – ranging from small-scale dishonesty through to large-scale fraud or corruption. It may arrive in the form of research into companies with which you do business – be they suppliers, partners, or prospects for acquisitions, joint ventures, or mergers, to name but a few.
Private investigators possess the skill set required to deliver cost-effective results that are professionally obtained and legally by the book. They are licenced to carry out investigative actions such as background checks or undercover surveillance that would otherwise be out of reach. Ultimately, their role is to ensure that you gain access to the information you need to protect your company and employees from harm.
Staying Ahead of Potential Problems
Of course, prevention is always better than cure. Did you know that portion of the work we do here at Lauth Investigations in Indianapolis, Indiana, takes the form of carrying out audits? This element of private investigator services allows businesses small and large to side-step potential pitfalls with time to spare. This might mean conducting security risk assessments before providing tailored advice, or performing corporate culture audits to prevent a breeding ground for misconduct taking hold. The spectrum of support that we offer is broad, and uniquely customized in terms of scope and budget. If you would like to learn more about what our team can do for your business, contact us today.
From HQ in Indianapolis, Indiana, Lauth Investigations provides a steadily growing umbrella of private investigator services; ranging from missing persons to custody issues for private clients, through to workplace investigations small and large within the business and corporate sphere. We draw on the talents of a diverse team with decades of experience across a spectrum of investigative fields. We also take pride in being optimally equipped to provide the very best private investigator to suit the unique challenge of each and every client. One of the ways we help corporations improve themselves from within is by helping them meet the burden of proof regarding sexual harassment.
Among such needs, over recent years many organizations have become acutely aware of the importance of swift action on sexual harassment in the workplace. The #metoo era highlighted not only the importance of safeguarding employee well-being through policy and awareness, but also the potential catastrophes that can unfold when incidents of sexual harassment pass by unheeded. For businesses or organizations in the Midwest either navigating issues of this nature for the first time or exploring how to prevent them proactively, we provide expert support. A private investigator from Lauth Investigations can help you demonstrate that your business truly takes the lead on this vital contemporary issue.
Spotting Sexual Harassment and Stopping It in Its Tracks
Incidents of workplace sexual harassment can take place within an organization of any size, and upon any step of the corporate ladder. Sexual harassment can be described as verbal or physical harassment of a sexual nature, including unwelcome advances or requests for sexual favors. Its form can range from isolated incidents through to a chronic pattern of behavior. This might include the use of innuendos and double entendre, proposition and coercion, and intimidation or direct threats. It can also include unwelcome exposure to elicit material.
Not only can workplace sexual harassment risk emotional harm to employees, but also lawsuits of a civil or even criminal nature and potential damage to a company’s reputation. All of these factors make mobilizing on this all-important issue a must. So, how exactly can a private investigator from Lauth Investigations help an Indiana business navigate such a challenge?
Impartial Results and Expert Guidance
Whether handled by leadership within a smaller business, or an HR manager within a larger organization, internal sexual harassment investigations place a particular burden on even the most professional of teams. Those who work alongside both accusers and accused can find impartiality a challenge – also shouldering their own inevitable emotional fallout. In dealing with such a delicate matter, impartiality becomes all the more vital as conclusions drawn and actions taken may later be subject to legal scrutiny and litigation.
In contrast, the best private investigator for such circumstances will possess the training and experience to impartially draw out the information required to move towards resolution. Their in-depth understanding of legal obligations and strategic evidence gathering will ensure that investigation results are dependable in terms of safeguarding the organization, and reliable in terms of safeguarding the well-being of employees.
From Prevention to Resolution
For businesses in Indianapolis and across the Midwest, Lauth Investigations are on hand to undertake Corporate Culture Audits, supporting you in fostering a safe work environment in which your team can thrive. Should the need for a sexual assault investigation arise, we are ready to provide the best private investigator to lead a thorough, sensitive, and discreet investigation, ensuring just resolution for all. Private investigators from Lauth Investigations will uncover and document findings on your behalf, and are even adept at giving testimony when required – providing ultimate peace of mind. Whether you are located in Indianapolis, Indiana, or even further afield, our team are ready to support yours. Contact us today to learn more about how we can assist in sexual assault investigations.
Does your company need a climate change compliance investigation? The answer is most undoubtedly yes.
In the continuous uphill battle of combating climate change across the globe, the evidence that corporations bear the bulk of responsibility has become more undeniable than ever. Just over four years ago, the Guardian reported that just 100 companies were responsible for 71% of global emissions, but little has been done since then to hold corporations in general responsible for how their carbon footprint dwarfs that of any individual citizen of the world. Now, only two days ago, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released their anticipated report on the impact of human behavior on climate change stating that the evidence is undeniable—we are causing the land and oceans to warm up faster than they have in 2,000 years in what is being characterized as a “code red for humanity.”
As corporations seek to mitigate their impact on the alarming rate of global warming, the first step is to clean your own house. Leadership must consult experts in mitigating climate change to learn how their own internal processes may contribute to their carbon footprint, and subsequently comply with those recommendations. However, when it comes to independent contractors and vendors your corporation does business with, leadership must be vigilant about ensuring that those associates are also complying with climate change mitigation. To ensure that their corporation is not supporting noncompliant contractors and vendors, leadership can hire a private corporate investigator to verify their level of compliance.
In a climate change compliance investigation, private investigators have the foremost advantage of subterfuge and anonymity when conducting field investigations. In compliance investigations, its always best if the corporation being evaluated does not know they are being evaluated. A private investigator who conducts a climate change compliance investigation can enter the company’s infrastructure undercover, perhaps disguised as a vendor or a client. Armed with state-of-the-art surveillance equipment, private investigators can document the unseen factors within. All evidence is compiled in a comprehensive report and turned over to the client to be used at their discretion.
If your corporation needs the peace of mind that your vendors and contractors are being compliant with your mission towards mitigating your carbon footprint, call Lauth Investigations International today at 317-951-1100 or visit us online at our website to learn more about our corporate investigation services.
A private investigator can identify employee fraud and thief in your workforce, eliminating future threats while maintaining objectivity.
Despite the ability of a business to flourish in any economy, every company is still vulnerable to the possibility of employee theft or fraud. Like a frog in a boiling pot, sometimes companies can be taken by surprise when the theft has gradually grown over a period of time, and no one is the wiser until the business takes an unexpected financial hit. Companies can protect themselves from these frauds with costly in-house investigations into the crime, but a private investigator can go a long way towards identifying all perpetrators, no matter how high up the chain of command it goes.
Recent statistics from several government agencies who supervise finances and labor estimate theft committed annually by employees reaches an excess of $50 billion. Even an isolated incident can blanket a company in a crisis and leave them clawing out of the depths of bankruptcy. It starts with small things, such as taking office supplies for personal use. When this action goes unchecked, the employee might begin taking from petty cash without authorization. The level of the theft will always ratchet up the longer the thief goes undetected.
When an investigator attempts to identify employee fraud is knowing what to look for. Elliot Rysenbry of Trustify says there are six warning signs of employee theft for which Human Resources should be vigilant.
Workaholics
Behaviors of people who might be very dedicated to their jobs are also characteristic of people who might be stealing from your business. People who are always working long hours and never take a vacation. This “dedication” is a front for superiors. People who are stealing via their position do not want to be absent from the workplace for fear a temporary replacement might notice inconsistencies that could indicate fraud.
Hyper-vigilance of connections
When an employee has a close personal connection/relationship with any vendor or associated financial institution, it’s usually not cause for concern of impropriety. However, hyper-vigilance or strong protection of those relationships, it’s possible there’s something in the business arrangement for this employee. One of the most common names for this kind of fraudulent arrangement is “kickbacks” or getting a cut of the profits vendors or financial institutions receive from a thieving employee.
Inflated expenses
This is one of the most common types of theft committed in the workplace. Line items on expense reports are either inflated or fabricated entirely in order to pad the thief’s pocket.
Extravagances
Payroll knows what individual employees make week to week, so when there are unexplained extravagences in an employee’s life, such as a flashy new car, it’s important HR keep an eye on said employee.
Frequent small transactions
Taking from petty cash in small amounts can add up quickly, and is often a sign of more serious, larger-scale fraud being committed within the company.
Entitlement
Employees who feel as though they are underpaid or undervalued at their company are also plausible perpetrators of theft. Whether as a motive or a rationalization, they feel as if what they stole was deserved payment.
While theft can be an extremely toxic element in any work environment, one of the ways to exacerbate it is by conducting a poor internal investigation. Human Resource employees are unsung heroes of companies and businesses, as they are one of the crucial gatekeepers with control over the quality of employees. Not only are they very busy individuals, but they might not be the most objective persons to conduct an internal investigation.
Sometimes a lack of experience with investigations will cause a member of HR to make false or unprepared accusations about the guilt of a particular employee. If this employee is unimpeachable, the company can open itself up to lawsuits and bad press. Even if HR is not conducting the investigation, most employees are not trained investigators and might conduct an inquiry in an illegal manner that could also open the business up to litigation. Sometimes a pay cut for an employee suspected of stealing might seem like a quick and quiet way to resolve these issues, but legal counsel should always be consulted before making these decisions. By the same token, hasty termination of these employees to avoid a messy investigation should always involve the opinion of a legal expert—all in the name of protecting the country from plausible legal trouble.
The simple answer to avoiding all of the aforementioned ways to inflame an internal theft investigation is to retain the services of a private investigator. Private investigators can save companies from themselves in terms of opening themselves up to litigation or bad press. Private investigators have more skill and experience in these areas preventing investigations from blowing up in a negative manner. They are independent contractors, therefore, do not have a dog in the race when it comes to identifying the culprit of the theft. Their objectivity will be crucial, especially if the theft within the company goes all the way to the executive level. Because of their authority over employees, CEOs of companies might often get a soft front from HR or other investigative bodies within the business. Private investigators—being unknown to other employees in the business—can also conduct undercover operations to yield truthful and unbiased results. The private investigator, along with business counsel, can also advise Human Resource departments how to proceed once the culprit has been identified. Whatever the specific needs of a company, always consider hiring a private investigator to conduct internal investigations in order to protect and enhance the longevity of your business.
Identify employee fraud and theft today with Lauth Investigations International. Call 317-951-1100 or visit us online at our website for a free quote.
