--- title: How to Conduct a Harassment Investigation description: When an employer receives a harassment claim, they have a legal obligation to examine the claim by conducting a thorough investigation. image: https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/canstockphoto304863-1.jpg --- Start typing and press Enter to search * * # How to Conduct a Harassment Investigation [Home](https://www.ahola.com/) » [News & Events](https://blog.ahola.com/how-to-conduct-a-harassment-investigation) » How to Conduct a Harassment Investigation [2022-02-02%2016:13:55](2022-02-02%2016:13:55) ![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/canstockphoto304863-1.jpg) ## How to Conduct a Harassment Investigation By [ Ahola Corporation ](https://blog.ahola.com/author/ahola-corporation)  Posted [ February 2, 2022](2022-02-02%2016:13:55)  In  [Employee Engagement](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employee-engagement), [Human Resources](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/human-resources), [Safety](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/safety), [Training & Development](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/training-development), [Employees](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employees) - - - - - When an employer receives a harassment claim, they have a legal obligation to examine the claim by conducting a thorough investigation. Below are the basic steps to complete a harassment investigation. 1. #### **Select an interviewer** Typically, this person would be an impartial manager, company officer, or HR representative. They should approach the investigation process without a presumption of guilt or innocence and with the commitment to treat the situation as fairly as possible. Typically, the investigation can and should be conducted and closed within three days. 2. #### Speak with all involved parties Speak with the employee who made the complaint (if you know who they are), the accused employee, and any witnesses they name. The questions asked during the interview should not lead an interviewee toward a particular response and should not be accusatory in nature. They should be unbiased, open-ended, and prepared in advance. It’s also important not to promise a particular outcome to employees participating in the investigation. 3. #### Documentation Once the investigation interviews are complete, document your conclusions and actions taken. If the company determines that the accused employee did in fact violate its harassment or other workplace policy, appropriate disciplinary measures may be administered. What qualifies as appropriate would depend on the severity of behavior; it may include termination of employment. A summary of the findings should be placed in the accused employee’s file. 4. #### Update all involved parties Inform both the accused employee and the accuser about the conclusions of the investigation and any disciplinary measures taken. The complaining employee doesn't need to know the specific disciplinary action, just that appropriate corrective action has been taken. Remind both employees that you will not tolerate retaliation. 5. #### Make adjustments to prevent incidents In some situations, it is advisable to separate employees to limit the potential for future incidents, but care should be taken so this step doesn’t have a negative impact on the employee who raised the complaint. In addition to the above steps, it's not a bad idea to consult with legal counsel when you receive allegations of harassment or discrimination. Looking for more HR help? [Speak with a Consultant today.](https://ahola.com/human-resources-consulting/) *Content provided by Ahola's HR Support Center* ### Reply a Comment ## RELATED POSTS [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/Sexual%20Harassment.png) ](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-employee-makes-harassment-claim) [[Real Life HR] Employee Makes Harassment Claim](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-employee-makes-harassment-claim) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/canstockphoto95026575%20(1).jpg) ](https://blog.ahola.com/how-to-file-and-claim-the-employee-retention-tax-credit-with-form-941-x) [How to File and Claim the Employee Retention Tax Credit with Form 941-X](https://blog.ahola.com/how-to-file-and-claim-the-employee-retention-tax-credit-with-form-941-x) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/frustrated.png) ](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-we-hired-the-wrong-person) [[Real Life HR] We Hired the Wrong Person](https://blog.ahola.com/real-life-hr-we-hired-the-wrong-person) ## SUBSCRIBE ### Recent posts - [Professionalizing HR Without Losing Your Family Culture ](https://blog.ahola.com/professionalizing-hr-without-losing-your-family-culture) - [Why Encouraging Employees to Take Summer Vacation Benefits Your Workplace ](https://blog.ahola.com/why-encouraging-employees-to-take-summer-vacation-benefits-your-workplace) - [Ahola Named a 2026 Top Workplace — Six Years Running! ](https://blog.ahola.com/ahola-named-a-2026-top-workplace) - ### Topics - [Affordable Care Act (13)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/affordable-care-act) - [Benefits (223)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/benefits) - [Cybersecurity (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/cybersecurity) - [Employee Engagement (255)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employee-engagement) - [Employees (603)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/employees) - [Family Business Insights (10)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/family-business-insights) - [Hiring (282)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/hiring) - [Human Resources (645)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/human-resources) - [Laws/Policies (26)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/laws-policies) - [Managing COVID-19 (153)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/managing-covid-19) - [News Release (56)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/news-release) - [Offboarding (3)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/offboarding) - [onboarding (7)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/onboarding) - [Payroll (428)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/payroll) - [Recruiting (142)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/recruiting) - [Safety (121)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/safety) - [Tax Compliance (230)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/tax-compliance) - [Time & Attendance (124)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/time-attendance) - [Training & Development (214)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/training-development) - [Trending Topic (75)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/trending-topic) - [Uncategorized (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/uncategorized) - [Webinars (69)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/webinars) - [Workers Comp (1)](https://blog.ahola.com/tag/workers-comp) [see all topics](https://blog.ahola.com/how-to-conduct-a-harassment-investigation#) ### GENERAL DISCLAIMER This blog is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and cannot constitute legal advice, because the authors are not licensed attorneys. Readers should not rely or act upon any information presented on this blog without seeking professional legal counsel. The views expressed in each post are those of the author, and the author alone; they are not the views of Ahola. The information provided in this blog is general, and based on information available as of the date of publishing. Information herein is provided on an “as is” or “as available” basis; we make no warranty of any kind to you regarding the information provided and disclaim any liability for damages from use of the blog or its content. Please consult an attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular question or issue. [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/handbook.jpg) Should we have a COVID Section in our Employee Handbook? When an employer receives a... ](https://blog.ahola.com/should-we-have-a-covid-section-in-our-employee-handbook) [![](https://blog.ahola.com/hubfs/pexels-miguel-%C3%A1-padri%C3%B1%C3%A1n-194094.jpg) 3 Ways to Be an Emotionally Intelligent Leader When an employer receives a... ](https://blog.ahola.com/3-ways-to-be-an-emotionally-intelligent-leader)