Media Contact: Barbara Fornasiero, EAFocus Communications, 248.260.8466, barbara@eafocus.com

Detroit-–-October 2, 2017-–-Raising the Bar, an educational series raising employer awareness of current issues in employment and labor law and offered by Detroit-based management side labor and employment law firm Nemeth Law, P.C., returns on Wednesday, October 11, to address the practice of Conducting Workplace Investigations.  In this session, Nemeth Law attorneys will conduct a mock investigation and discuss how it may be used as a tool for diminishing the effects of bad behavior when properly managed.

Employers are seeing an uptick in the number of employee complaints about co-workers doing or saying offensive things, according to Terry Bonnette, a partner at Nemeth Law.

“Employers have many questions about how to look into situations where employees are reacting to each other’s vocal personal beliefs; they want to know what measures they can take without crossing the privacy line,” Bonnette said.  “A thorough investigation may help in resolving the issue or be used as a valuable defense to a lawsuit, but it could also lose effectiveness if not conducted using appropriate guidelines.”

At the October 11 Raising the Bar, Nemeth Law attorneys will discuss best practices for employers in today’s charged workplace climate.  Topics include:

  • Pre-Investigation: What warrants an investigation, who should investigate, and how to manage the alleged victim and alleged wrong-doer in the meantime.
  • Mock Investigation: How to interview the victim, the witnesses and the accused.
  • Privacy, surveillance, off-duty conduct, social media and workplace searches.
  • He said/She said: Making credibility determinations during a workplace investigation.
  • Preventing retaliation and compliance with the EEOC’s new anti-retaliation guidelines.
  • Concluding the investigation: What to include, what not to include and what to share.

Raising the Bar will be held on Wednesday, October 11, at the Management Education Center, 811 West Square Lake Road, Troy, 48098.  Continental breakfast will be served at 8:30 a.m. The program begins at 9 a.m. and ends at 12 p.m. with one 15-minute break.  The cost of the event is $75 per person and pre-registration is required.  To register, e-mail Pamela Perkowski at pperkowski@nemethlawpc.com or call 313.567.5921.

About Nemeth Law, P.C.

Celebrating 25 years in 2017, Nemeth Law specializes in workplace investigations, employment litigation, traditional labor law, management consultation/training for private and public sector employers, and arbitration and mediation. It is the largest woman-owned law firm in Michigan to exclusively represent management in the prevention, resolution and litigation of labor and employment disputes.

###