It has happened again in our community; the details are still fuzzy, but we do know that a terminated employee opened fire in his workplace, killing five and wounding others. What a terrifying experience it must be to be in your place of work and to have it transform so quickly from safe to life-threatening. While some will call for gun control and the media will dissect every detail they can, employers should once again be reminded that this CAN happen here.

… be aware of two very recent and very important pieces of information. 

Speaking at the Institute always gives me an opportunity to contemplate the challenges people face in their practice — whether advising employers, conducting investigations or attempting to manage workplace conflict. This year, as every year, I ran short of being able to address all of the questions written by attendees, and, as promised will address them here.

As promised, I have attached PDF copies of my PowerPoint slides from my break out sessions for your personal use.  As always, I ask that you be respectful of my intellectual property rights and use it only for internal or personal information sharing.  Any other use requires express permission.

I’ve been doing a lot of talking about bullies.  Increasingly, employers are asking me to speak with their employees and managers about bullying in the workplace, and the response I have been getting is remarkable.  After every session, whether in a blue-collar setting or a tony professional firm, people approach me and tell me their stories.  And the stories floor me.

INTERNAL INVESTIGATION COMPETENCE: When an internal investigation is being scrutinized, it’s best to have prepared for the questions that will inevitably be asked. This is an update of an oldie-but-goodie that emphasizes the importance of consistency in practice in defending your investigations.