Interviews Archives - Rubin Thomlinson

A refresher on the “duty of care” – Who do we owe it to? | Petit rappel sur le « devoir de diligence », à qui est-il dû ?

January 3, 2023 | By Alexandra Djagba Oli

Workplace investigations have been around for quite some time as a way for diligent employers to address potential issues hindering the workplace. If, as a result of its long-standing use, they no longer appear cryptic in the eyes of some employees and employers, they still carry a perfume of mystery and elicit questions for many others. In my practice, most of the questions I hear from parties and witnesses in an investigation are procedure-based, pertaining to confidentiality or the length of the process.

Trauma-informed approach to discrimination investigations

November 23, 2022 | By Dana J. Campbell-Stevens

In the world of workplace investigations, we often hear of adopting a trauma-informed approach in sexual harassment cases. We especially heard this during the #MeToo movement, and, indeed, it was necessary.

You got this: How workplace investigators handle interview anxiety

October 18, 2022 | By Alison Griggs

Interviewing parties and witnesses for workplace investigations is one of the most interesting parts of being a workplace investigator. Interviews can also be one of the most challenging aspects of workplace investigations, and as a result, can also be anxiety-inducing.

The why and how of incorporating visual aids into investigation reports

June 14, 2022 | By Clara Matheson

A lot of work goes into producing an investigation report that is well-written and well-reasoned. But the finished product is more than just a set of words—it is also a visual experience for the reader. While visual elements such as white space and word font certainly enhance readability, in this blog post I focus on the communicative power of visual aids (images, tables, charts, etc.) and provide some best practices for including them in investigation reports.

Two times a charm: Why we conduct follow-up interviews in our workplace investigations

May 25, 2022 | By Heather Shields

I recently conducted a workplace investigation that included an allegation that an internal workplace investigation was unfair. Several witnesses who were interviewed as part of the internal investigation had provided evidence that was favourable to the complainant, but neither party to the internal investigation was provided with an opportunity to respond to this witness evidence in a follow-up interview.

Representative or witness? Be certain before you proceed

February 22, 2022 | By Heather Shields

As workplace investigators, we regularly conduct interviews where the interviewee is accompanied by a representative from their union or association. Many collective agreements have provisions that allow employees to have their representative present during any interviews that are conducted as part of a workplace investigation, regardless of whether the employee participates as a party to the investigation or as a witness.

“Where do we go from here?” How to proceed when evidence from a party is unavailable

September 7, 2021

In the normal course of a workplace investigation, the investigator interviews the parties and the witnesses, obtains relevant documents, conducts follow-up interviews where needed, and then drafts a report using the evidence gathered.

Key considerations when preparing for a workplace assessment

August 5, 2021 | By Dana J. Campbell-Stevens

Workplace assessments have emerged as a popular and very useful tool to proactively address and respond to concerns in the workplace. It is quite often used to gather information about culture, practices, or behaviours in the workplace, to identify the cause of conflicts, or to identify potential opportunities for improvement in particular areas…

Serious insight for serious situations.