In every single industry—and on worksites across America—the everyday efforts, creativity, and innovation of entire teams have to stay within the lines of a certain rule book. External laws and regulations, internal policies and procedures, and an overarching Code of Conduct is something that every employee is subject to, and straying can have serious consequences. If these words echo as eerily familiar due to current circumstances, then this article is for you. Preparing for a worksite compliance investigation can make the ground beneath your feet feel unstable, but knowing what to expect, and crucially, what actions to take next will help you reclaim firm footing.
Getting Ahead of a Worksite Compliance Investigation
Compliance investigations come in several different forms, depending upon what triggers them, and the industry in question. If a non-compliance complaint lands on your own desk, you may need to quickly mount an internal compliance investigation alongside considering whether you need to report the incident to any external party or authority. If the complaint was made externally—by your client or any other party—then you may receive notice that you’re going to be subject to an external compliance investigation.
If the latter is the case, you might feel tempted to have a Chicken Little moment. But take heart, because the sky is not falling in just yet. The only course of action is to get ahead of the issue, and take strategic action fast. However, this needs to be well thought out, because in certain cases, the consequences of non-compliance can be severe. Launching an internal investigation when you’re already under the microscope can draw an accusation of bias, which may undermine honest actions, casting them as an attempt to protect yourself against justified liability.
The best possible collaborator at this time is an external and impartial third-party investigator who can help you get the lay of the land, uncover the facts, gather and compile evidence, and aid you ahead of any possible fall out. Not only will a skilled corporate investigator be able to adeptly draw the puzzle pieces together ahead of a formal compliance investigation, but they’ll be able to coordinate with your legal council, and even provide witness testimony should the need arise.
If your compliance investigation remains internal in nature, then don’t write off the third-party investigator’s skill set here either. That hot potato of a word—bias—can mean all sorts of legal trouble if a complaint is serious enough, and being able to demonstrate that your investigation and findings are flawlessly impartial can be a reward that only reveals its true value a little further down the road.
The Complexities of a Compliance Investigation
While some forms of worksite investigation can be handled internally—by your HR team or even by leadership—others are complex enough to warrant seeking expert guidance. Failures of compliance can mean worrying legal ramifications for companies large and small. As such, a properly trained investigator is ideally poised to ensure that what follows will be cost effective, thorough, and free from costly mistakes.
Whether you are the one who will act upon the findings of your investigator, or whether you’ll be able to hand that meticulously documented file to an authority figure, having confidence that your own compliance investigation was by the book can be invaluable. Calling on the assistance of an impartial corporate investigator from Lauth Investigations International allows total peace of mind that all evidence has been gathered, documentation has been correctly and chronologically compiled, confidences honored, interviews conducted with the proper technique, and no legal missteps made. So, take the sting out of the tail of your impending worksite compliance investigation with our industry-tailored services. The Lauth Investigations team are ready and waiting to answer your questions, so reach out for a no-obligation consultation today.