May 16, 2012 1 to 2 pm PDT (20:00 to 21:00 GMT) Live & Recorded Webinar

The "Good Enough" Investigation: How to Meet Standards While Controlling Costs

Amy Oppenheimer & Donna Peter

MCLE 1 Hour Approved for Live & Recorded

HRCI 1 Hour Approved for Live Only

AWI Members Register $75

Non-AWI Members Register $100

6 Webinar Series Members $250 Non-Members $400

As investigators we want to do our best. As the employer hiring an investigator we want a defensible investigation but we also cannot forget about the bottom line and may fear that the costs of the investigation (both the bill and the fallout) will be too much to bear.  Sometimes the "best" investigation would be unreasonably expensive and time consuming, given the allegations we are investigating.  The Cotran and Silva cases set forth that a good faith and reasonable investigation is all that is needed for an employer to be immune from liability for wrongful termination. This webinar explores the law relating to standards for investigations and then discusses what is needed for the "good enough" investigation.

When is it okay not to interview someone or explore an allegation? How can we deliver an adequate investigation without delivering an astronomical bill? A seasoned investigator and a director of HR who hires investigators will discuss these questions and others.

Amy Oppenheimer has more than 25 years experience working in the field of employment law, emphasizing preventing and responding to workplace harassment and discrimination. As an attorney, she has litigated employment cases. Since 1992 she has acted as a neutral in a variety of capacities, including investigating claims of harassment and discrimination, training workplace investigators, mediation and arbitration. Ms. Oppenheimer is the author of many articles about harassment, bias and discrimination, including one of the only practical guides to doing investigations: Investigating Workplace Harassment, How to be Fair, Thorough and Legal, published in 2003 by Society of Human Resource Practice (SHRM). She is a trial qualified expert on the issue of employment practices in preventing, responding to and investigating workplace harassment and discrimination. Ms. Oppenheimer is the Founder and President of the Association of Workplace Investigators, Inc. (AWI).

Donna Peter is currently the Director of Human Resources for the City of Santa Monica. She was previously the Director of Human Resources for the City of Manhattan Beach and has served as a human resources consultant to the City of Lynwood and Santa Monica City College. Ms. Peter received two Bachelor of Arts degrees from California State University, Chico and her MBA from California State University, Fresno. She has conducted numerous training sessions on a variety of workplace issues and has participated in roundtable discussions regarding various Human Resources topics. Ms. Peter has conducted internal investigations herself and has years of experience working with outside investigators.