A lot of people might imagine that undercover investigations are something that’s only really seen in the movies. A smooth talking operative, planted at the core of a villainous organization, tirelessly working to overthrow evil. What a great plot concept! But an undercover investigator can be so much more than what we see in the movies.
While those of us who undertake this work in the real world might enjoy the flattering portrayal, the reality is that undercover investigations are far more common than you might think—and an effective option for businesses of any size, when the situation warrants them. An undercover investigator, or even a team of investigators, may enter a business at any level in order to gather evidence of a crime underway, or gain a clear picture of employee misconduct without alerting the perpetrators.
This Big Screen-Worthy Tactic Doesn’t Need a Hollywood Budget
When a business is already feeling the strain, the last thing they need is a fraudster or thief on their payroll. Truth be told, even the healthiest and most prosperous corporations can be dramatically derailed by those they should be able to trust the most. From drug use during working hours through to white collar crime, employee misconduct and criminality can be tricky to spot. However, allowing dangerous or unlawful behavior to run rampant means accruing costs that both honest employees and the business itself will have to shoulder.
Whether evidence is hard to come by, the culprit isn’t obvious, or a business is afraid of legal repercussions, taking decisive action can be the most efficient and cost-effective route to resolving matters once and for all. A swift and strategic corporate investigation will deliver the hard-hitting evidence required to allow leadership to act—and in many cases, an undercover investigation stands as the most laser-sharp tactic to get the job done.
Why Undercover Investigations Are So Effective
The harsh reality is that catching a thief, abuser, or criminal red handed is a luxury that few employers are afforded. Those who know their actions aren’t allowed bend over backwards not to get caught—this isn’t a Disney movie, so there’ll be no striped jumper and swag bag. That said, those who feel comfortable with immoral acts are far more likely to drop their guard with a peer, making an undercover investigator the best possible candidate for effective evidence gathering.
Under the umbrella of corporate investigations services, an undercover investigation means taking the fight to the front line. This intimate vantage point provides the perfect opportunity to make deft work of preventing the losses, injury, or liability that the misconduct at hand may ultimately result in. Meanwhile, because the operation is covert, day-to-day operations are not disrupted, and the remainder of your staff can continue their work uninhibited. Once a strong case is built, resolution can be decisive, and carefully managed, in order to keep morale on track.
Why External Corporate Investigations Specialists Are a Worthy Ally
Expert undercover operatives are well trained to maintain their discreet cover—all while operating under a fictitious identity that even extends to their online presence. An undercover investigation may serve as only a facet of a larger corporate investigation, perhaps including surveillance, employee background checks, research, and risk assessments. Fundamentally, a seasoned and trusted corporate investigations firm is best posed to provide for and scale to any corporate cause for concern.
Here at Lauth Investigations, we also offer businesses with proactive and preventative support, in the form of corporate background checks and Corporate Culture Audits. The latter is a bold and new addition to the corporate investigations landscape, providing a comprehensive overview to those at the helm of any enterprise—spanning team morale, operational structure, communications, pervasive misconduct, decision making efficiency, and much more. Finally, this service includes a crystal-clear game-plan that will allow organizations to move the needle towards prosperity, and leave investigation-worthy issues behind. Evidence uncovered by undercover investigators can be invaluable, so don’t write off this finely-tuned resource as fantasy over fact. Skilled undercover investigators from Lauth Investigations are ready to answer your call. Why not learn more about our corporate specialties, discover the innovative Corporate Culture Audit, or simply contact our team to discuss your needs and receive a no-obligation quote today.
Imagine a home—an attractive and decadent home—within which every visible surface is neat and tidy. However, if you lift the rug or look under the furniture, what you discover is festering. Mold, pests, and grime have taken hold, because nobody thought to look further than surface-deep. This kind of neglect might seem shocking, but a surprising number of business owners take the very same attitude to their most precious asset.
Forging a thriving, profitable company is a noble endeavor indeed, and one that takes substantial time and investment. If you are the person at the helm—or perhaps the CEO or human resources director of a well-respected company—ask yourself: How much do you really know about what lies under the carpet?
As the corporate specialists here at Lauth Investigations aid ambitious businesses through our innovative Corporate Culture Audits, we often find that even the most alert entrepreneur or HR professional can be stunned by our findings. In reality, this is hardly surprising. It’s impossible to know what goes on behind every closed office door or what staff get up to when leadership aren’t around. That certainly begs the question, what does a deep-clean entail?
Counting the Costs When Your Business is an Unclean House
When bad agents run amok within a business, soon enough its corporate culture, team morale, productivity, and profitability will inevitably begin to bottom out, and a human resources director should be on alert. This kind of under-the-surface crisis can begin with workplace harassment, time-theft, the stealing of company property, data theft, malingering, and many more examples. If detected, stand-alone instances may be met with corporate investigations, which may or may not reveal culprits. However, when such actions go unnoticed, the risks become ever greater.
A single bad apple can soon initiate a rot that travels barrel-wide. One team member getting away with FMLA abuse or raiding the supplies closet may embolden others to follow suit. Meanwhile, honest employees can find themselves within a toxic work environment that saps them of their drive and focus. High turnover can follow—as your brightest talent moves on to greener pastures. This picture is bleak, no doubt; so how can you reveal what cannot be seen?
Knowing When to Take Action
Whenever warning signs appear—whether they are a fall in profits, a rise in departure notices, a trickle of complaints, or a spate of small inventory losses—action should be taken immediately. Armed with the knowledge that what festers can spread, not only should corporate investigations be launched, but a more comprehensive insight must be uncovered.
In order to glean that all-seeing view, there can be no better tactic than turning to a specialist corporate investigations service. Lauth Investigations is home to the innovative Corporate Culture Audit—a health-check for businesses that is diligently tailored to shed full illumination upon every corner of your company’s operations and culture. We examine aspects such as of communication, cohesion, structure, atmosphere, and engagement—uncovering grimy problem areas along the way. With the spotlight turned up, we next compose a measurable and tangible strategy that will help you transform your business, leaving those hidden surfaces exposed, and providing a deep-clean that will not disappoint. Take the initiative and contact Lauth Investigations today. By stepping ahead of hidden threats, you can ensure that your business is able to shine at its full potential.
While there are a great number of Private Investigators across America doing great work for individual clients, a small and elite few among their numbers offer greater specialization. This high-caliber investigative service can be invaluable to attorneys doing vital work for their clients, and insurance companies aiming to mitigate the risk of fraudulent claims.
This class of investigator often comes from a background in law enforcement or some form of legal profession—but most crucially, they are optimally versed in exactly what attorneys require when presenting evidence, and build every investigative case file with the mindset that it must be airtight in court. Better yet, they are also optimally poised to provide day-to-day support, thanks to full understanding of the task on the table—making them the ideal right hand for those taking the lead.
With licensed access to restricted databases and comprehensive knowledge of both state and national policies, a seasoned Private Investigator is an ideal ally for those tackling complex caseloads. Here, we’ll explore why outsourcing key investigative tasks can be both cost-effective and time-saving for any attorney or insurance company.
Increasing Efficiency With a Private Investigator
For insurance providers and attorneys alike, every case calls for a unique process, and scopes can grow as complexities can arise. When following a person—or object—across state lines becomes a necessity, a crucial witness falls off the grid, or surveillance is called for, a Private Investigator’s assistance can become a must. However, there is much to be said for streamlining investigations at an earlier stage with outsourced assistance.
Crucially, a Private Investigator’s objective is to move the needle faster. In many cases, a Private Investigator will be able to quickly uncover evidence that brings conclusions forwards—prevents costs from escalating, or facilitating an earlier settlement, plea, or denial. Fundamentally, due diligence lies at the core of every effort undertaken by the Lauth Investigations team, and that dedication can help you ensure that your case is both deft and airtight.
Drawing Upon a Broad Skill Set
Private Investigators who are well versed in legal process, witness interviewing, and evidence gathering, offer a spectrum of services that can assist attorneys and insurance companies alike. Examples of the assistance they may provide to attorneys include:
When it comes to collaborating with insurance companies, Private Investigators may assist with cases pertaining to personal injury, healthcare claims, product liability, disability claims, workers compensation, theft, and many more. Examples of the assistance they provided to insurers include:
Partner With a Private Investigator Who Understands Your Role Fully
The Lauth Investigations team draw on 25 years of experience, mounting investigations ranging from those set in the corporate world to those that traverse the globe. Among the many facets of our work, supporting attorneys and insurance companies as they build complex cases and quest for efficient and cost-effective resolution is a source of great pride. Discover more about the attorney and legal services we provide, before contacting our team today to discuss how we can help you take longer strides with dedicated investigative support from Lauth Investigations.
Corporations, organizations, and even small businesses operating in the United States today need to have their wits about them when it comes to all form of trafficking and labor exploitation. Human trafficking is big-business globally—because to perpetrators, it represents a lucrative opportunity with relatively low risks. In fact, the risk falls upon the victim, and sometimes, upon a company that may not even know it’s playing host.
Two years ago, America was stunned when landmark legal action was launched against twelve hotel chains—who were publicly named and shamed—for failing to act on warning signs that women and children were being sex trafficked on their premises. Calling for a single legal judgment in all twelve cases, proceedings were removed to federal court earlier this year, and the cogs of justice continue to turn towards a verdict.
There can be no doubt that this case is one of the many signals telling us that the landscape surrounding due diligence obligations in this area are changing. Today’s businesses can take this as a cue—and even an opportunity—to set themselves apart through integrity-driven policy and a powerful anti-trafficking stance.
The Many Unseen Faces of Trafficking & Labor Exploitation
While the sex trafficking case above may be alarming to read about, it’s vital to know that labor exploitation comes in many guises, and human traffickers may prey on anyone who exhibits a vulnerability that can be exploited. Victims of human trafficking can be of any race, age, or gender, and of any citizenship status—with businesses of all types and sizes serving as the scene where exploitation takes place, or as the perfect cover for its concealment.
Illuminating the issue for better understanding, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 defines labor trafficking as: “The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage or slavery”. Whenever any of these criteria are met, the “T” word applies—and the buck doesn’t always stop with the trafficker.
Estimates suggest that human trafficking strips the freedom of some 40.3 million people around the world, while roughly 24.9 million people are trapped in forced labor. Today’s growing practice of outsourcing and sub-contracting only increases incentives for traffickers, while complicating the task of businesses trying to keep their operations clean of exploitation. Crucially, exploiting these businesses is essential to the traffickers; they require the space, money flow, transportation, or advertising to keep their illicit activities under the radar of the authorities.
Protecting Both Your Business and Victims of Trafficking
Just as companies can be held liable for corporate crime, direct use of forced labor or involvement in human trafficking establishes a slippery slope towards legal ramifications, be they criminal proceedings or third party litigation. We mentioned due diligence obligations, and in consideration of the shifting labor landscape, these should certainly be enshrined in company policies and practices. Proactivity when it comes to detecting and preventing labor exploitation and human trafficking serves as both a shield and public service—while clear strategies to prevent, report, and remedy crimes uncovered means stepping ahead of the issue, and leading by example.
Turning to corporate investigations specialists for support in navigating the risks of all forms of trafficking and exploitation can provide businesses with unparalleled peace of mind. Simple practices that such professionals can facilitate—such as performing contractor and supplier background checks alongside conducting periodic Corporate Culture Audits—can serve as powerful preventative tools.
When worrying signs arise, a documented and decisive corporate investigation will not only shine a light on criminality, but will also showcase an organization demonstrating their civic duty and core values. Whatever the nature of your business, Lauth Investigations is here to assist you in meeting the challenge of exploitation head on. Contact our team today to learn more about what we can do for you.
When a company finds itself lurching from crisis to crisis, rather than reactively scrabbling to rein in the consequences, there’s a lot to be said for hunting out the cause. Many employers remain oblivious to disastrous impacts of employee alcohol and drug abuse until the worst occurs.
The reality is that employees engaged in substance abuse pose a serious threat to their managers and co-workers—as well as the company at large—and every day that the problem is left unaddressed is a day lost to both the individual and the business. Resulting problems might include diminished performance or productivity, tardiness, absenteeism, runaway turnover, theft, compensation bills, and even physical danger to people and property.
While it might seem clear that the individual engaged in alcohol or drug abuse is at fault, allowing such conduct to fester can leave employers exposed to legal liability too, so a prompt workplace investigation is certainly the place to start. Culprits are likely to be covering their tracks, and substance abuse can be tricky to pin-point and document. This makes the surveillance and clue-finding skills of specialist corporate investigations services an ideal ally in this scenario. Better yet, a Corporate Culture Audit can help you stamp out the seeds of workplace misconduct before they sprout—but we’ll return to that momentarily.
Understanding the Complexities of Employee Drug and Alcohol Abuse
The impacts of drug and alcohol abuse are far reaching. So much so that, according to the data from the American Addiction Centers, the price tag lands at $740 billion annually in lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and crime-related costs. The substances in question might be liquor, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, or over-the-counter medications. The abuse in question may be taking place during work hours or off the clock. Crucially, understanding how to identify the point at which you can take action is a necessity in terms of liability.
Clearly outlining rules in regard to consuming such substances during working hours in the employee handbook offers a well-lit legal path to disciplinary procedures if an employee is caught in the act. However, such cases are not always so cut and dry. For example, discrimination against those suffering from alcoholism is prohibited in many states by the Americans with Disabilities Act. This makes it vital to document a direct breach of policy, an impact to work performance, or a demonstrable threat to workplace safety, rather than simply a suspicion of intoxication.
Similarly, an employee is entirely entitled to take correctly prescribed medication—but an employer’s right to act comes into play when that medication makes them drowsy while operating machinery or driving a company vehicle. That said, state and federal laws in relation to disabilities may limit the options of an employer in these scenarios, perhaps even obliging the company to facilitate safe medication use of said employee, so expert guidance is always advisable.
Of course, if an employee’s workplace drug abuse extends to illegal substances, there are far less protections in place that might limit a company’s options. Depending on the circumstances—and crucially on the company’s pre-defined policies—actions taken might span from written warning to termination. However, be aware that your choices may have a knock-on affect on contractual obligations to customers or insurance policies. It is also vital to be mindful of social responsibility and federal regulations in regard to reporting crimes and referring those in need to assistance.
When It Comes to Alcohol and Drug Abuse, Prevention is Better Than Cure
No CEO or manager can know every detail of what employees are doing at all hours. But, what they can do is enact evidence-based prevention interventions aimed at mitigating workplace substance abuse, while fostering an environment of support and prosperity.
A more proactive form of corporate investigation is ideal as a preventative measure, and this is the Corporate Culture Audit. This serves as a health-check for your business, identifying conduct, policies, and patterns of behavior that may be undermining the company’s goals and ideals. Periodic audits can be complemented with supervisor training and education programs for employees. In certain cases, workplace drug testing may also be deemed appropriate. Ultimately, whatever program is opted for, its success can only be measured through an intelligent monitoring protocol. If you would like to know more about the spectrum of corporate investigations services available in relation to drug and alcohol abuse—including specialist capacity ranging from surveillance to undercover operations—the team at Lauth Investigations is always on hand to advise. Learn more about the powerful rewards offered by Corporate Culture Audits, or get in touch today to discuss your unique investigative needs.
The many companies that make up the crest of the American economic wave invest every single day in developing cutting-edge technology, conducting groundbreaking research, and developing innovative intellectual property. With all that’s at stake for businesses and their many hard-working employees, the threat of trade secret theft should always be taken seriously. But what do you do if you suspect a theft of this nature, and how can you guard against them?
While there may not be fingerprints to find or stolen goods to track, intellectual property or corporate data theft still always leaves a trail of leads to follow. Corporate security and investigations specialists from Lauth Investigations provide expert assistance to organizations across a spectrum of scales and industries, helping them uncover the perpetrators behind trade secret thefts while building a solid case so that swift action can be taken. Here, we will explore what steps to follow when non-compete violations or IP thefts occur, and how to armor-plate your trade secrets in the future.
What to do When Suspicion Arises
Few things can induce panic on a similar scale within the corporate world. For businesses that suspect an employee or outsider may have stolen trade secrets, it can truly feel as if the clock has started ticking. Corporate data theft may throw sensitive information into the public sphere—damaging a company’s reputation in a split-second—or it may allow competitors how to gain a crippling advantage. When trade secrets are stolen or intentionally leaked by an employer, potential return on years spent investing can start to feel like a fading mirage. The key when suspicion arises is to move quickly, knowing that the right tactic may interrupt a crisis before it fully unfolds.
Turning to professional corporate investigation services when this kind of countdown begins will make the most of precious time. Seasoned investigators will immediately begin gathering information on any suspects, while working with you to identify vulnerabilities that may have exposed trade secrets to risk, and painting a picture of the circumstances driving any breach.
In the case of a non-compete violation, a disgruntled employee may have sought an opportunity for illegal gain, but equally, a competitor may have approached them with ill intentions. Alongside launching an in-depth investigation of internal events, a fully licensed corporate investigator will also be able to gather corporate intelligence, revealing the scope of the crime at hand.
Mitigating Damage When Trade Secrets are Stolen
When an employee gives notice and moves on to a direct competitor with your company’s data in tow, it can be easy to imagine that the competitor in question is in on the scam. Through the corporate competitor intelligence gathering process, investigators may be able to uncover disproportionate compensation or benefits on the table that warrant suspicion. In other cases, reaching out to the competitor to inform them that their prospective employee is held by a non-compete contractual obligation may stop a potential snowball in its tracks.
Trained in both conflict resolution and interrogation, corporate investigators will be able to provide impartial support as you conduct an exit interview with a red-flag employee. This crucial meeting will facilitate the re-establishment of the legal ramifications of trade secret theft, and provide an ill-intentioned departing employee with the opportunity to think twice. At this juncture, asking the right questions will also force a thief in the act to either lie or confess. If an employee gives false answers in a documented interview, this may later serve as vital evidence.
Regardless of whether interventions are effective, the role of a corporate investigator will also include collecting and preserving evidence. This could include performing background checks, reviewing employment records, combing through digital activity records, and carrying out surveillance. When trade secret theft occurs, a high-caliber corporate investigator will be ready to advise on the most prudent course of action.
Reducing the Risk of Non-Compete Violations and Intellectual Property Theft
Contemporary corporate investigation services increasingly strike a balance between prevention and resolution. A trusted corporate investigations firm can help your business reduce risks by performing in-depth background checks before new recruits are brought on board, compiling corporate competitive intelligence, and performing security audits of both physical premises and digital practices. All too often, corporate theft is only a contributing piece of evidence pointing to eroded culture within the workplace. A Corporate Culture Audit from Lauth Investigations can provide not only a vivid insight into the health of your business’s inner workings, but also a multi-faceted strategy to iron-clad the road ahead. Discover more about our corporate services, or contact our team today for access to expert guidance and swift tailored solutions.
