Tips for Handling Harassment Claims

Legal experts say more employers are turning to them for advice on how to appropriately conduct investigations into claims of sexual harassment.

In addition to writing policies before they become necessary, attorneys offer these tips:

• Select an investigator who does not know either party.
• Share policies with the board of directors, which may become involved if the complaint is against a high-ranking employee.
• Include evidence beyond personal accounts and witness statements such as surveillance camera footage, text messages, and other documents.
• Define boundaries of the investigation and conclude as quickly as possible without driving it toward a particular outcome.

As an attorney said in the article in Business Insurance: “These things can be extraordinarily distracting to the business and the individuals involved.”

Association attorneys Joe Schmitt and David James, who specialize in labor and employment law, offered members advice on policies and investigations into harassment claims in the winter issue of Ag Innovator. Find it at FarmEquip.org/AGI.