Bullying and indipendent investigation.

[marmar]

Hi,

I have to hire someone to conduct an investigation (bullying claim). The management is pushing for someone from AFEI (Australian Federation of Employers and Industries). Couldn't find many information about them on the web (they were called Employers First).
Did anyone use them before to conduct workplace investigation?
On their web page it says that the organization looks after the employer interest, can an investigation conducted by them be considered an " Independent Investigation" ? Really need help about it. Want avoid trouble later on.Thank You

[The Y-man]

Which state are you in?

The Y-man

[marmar]

New South Wales, head office.

[Qld IR Consultant]

Send me an email, I'll do the investigation no probs.

[gary collis]

Hi
New on the site, bullying investigations has been my field for some time now, as the former south australian employee ombudsman I spent much of my time dealing with the issue of workplace bullying,investigations, training and reviewing policies and procedures

[michaelakassar]

Hi,

I don't know much about Employers First, but it doesn't sound independent to me. It's clear why the managers in your organisation want you to use them. Perhaps you need to look for someone who can work with both sides to ensure all parties are heard and have a chance to present their case. You could also contact your local OHS authority if the issues are not resolved internally.

I was bullied by a woman manager in a previous job and there was no internal support for me because the woman (who only has entry level skills in old school HR admin) had length of service and was good at working with the clients (adults with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities).

Unfortunately bullies are still considered acceptable in most organisations if they have technical, admin, or finance skills. Until this problem is dealt with on a national level and employers are forced to employ and retain people skills (because you can't teach empathy, compassion, and emotional self control) and train/coach/mentor staff in technical areas, you should do plenty of research before choosing a service provider.

Just my humble thoughts

Good luck

Cheers
Michaela

[gary collis]

Originally Posted by marmar

Hi,

I have to hire someone to conduct an investigation (bullying claim). The management is pushing for someone from AFEI (Australian Federation of Employers and Industries). Couldn't find many information about them on the web (they were called Employers First).
Did anyone use them before to conduct workplace investigation?
On their web page it says that the organization looks after the employer interest, can an investigation conducted by them be considered an " Independent Investigation" ? Really need help about it. Want avoid trouble later on.Thank You

Happy to assist