Employee Misconduct Investigations
We assist employers in workplace investigations and specialize in sexual harassment, digital forensics, substance abuse, fraud, and theft. Some of the tools and methods we employ include:
Investigative Interviews
As an employer, you need a solid basis for taking action and defending yourself against claims. The objective of a workplace investigation is to procure reliable facts so you can make informed decisions. Investigative interviews are one technique we use.
When conducting employee interviews, we report any employee misconduct, or crimes against employees and the organization. Our primary goal is to gather all information concerning the alleged or suspected problem in a way that allows management to enforce its policies and carry out appropriate corrective action. This allows us to perform the fact-finding process without being disruptive to the company, its operations, or employee morale. We can perform interviews in English or Spanish, as needed.
In most circumstances we obtain written, verbal, and tape-recorded statements from those interviewed. All information is cross-referenced with the information developed from other employee interviews, verifying and confirming results where possible.
We make no recommendations regarding discipline. However, the results of the investigation and subsequent interviews are provided in a detailed summary and a final report in order to assist you and your counsel with your decision-making process.
Surveillance
Our investigators can legally conduct covert surveillance nationwide, any time, in virtually any type of environment. Using cutting-edge technology, we can often overcome the most challenging conditions and capture video or still photography essential to your needs.
Investigators will capture activity as it occurs, in a non-intrusive manner that protects even the suspect’s legal rights to privacy. We gather necessary evidence to offer remedies that may include both criminal and civil action, and present it to you, your insurer/legal counsel in a most usable, accurate, and succinct format.
Employee monitoring is a responsible business practice. Employers who fail to monitor employees may expose themselves to liability.
Fraud & Embezzlement Investigations
Financial Pressure is one of the three elements in the “Fraud Triangle,” which also includes Opportunity and Rationalization. During tough economic times this increase in financial pressure, and the corresponding ability to rationalize inappropriate behavior, exposes companies to increased fraud risk.
Employers must therefore be diligent about limiting the opportunity of their employees to commit fraud and must implement a comprehensive fraud prevention and detection program. The good news is that many controls can be implemented quickly and inexpensively.
Let your employees know you have a “zero tolerance” for fraud and embezzlement and will not hesitate to prosecute offenders. Instances of theft and fraud diminish greatly when potential offenders know the potential reward will not be worth the risk of imprisonment. When it is generally known that termination is the only potential consequence of fraud, a company is virtually begging to become victimized.
Be sure to conduct background checks for ALL employees – To quote the popular television psychologist, Dr. Phil, “The best predictor of future behavior is past behavior.” For that reason, it is important that background checks be performed for all employees. Background checks cost very little but can provide valuable insight into the potential employee’s past criminal activity, litigation, finances, credit, and more. Permission must be obtained from the candidate in order to check credit, etc., and candidates with something to hide rarely will consent to a background check – they will simply move on to another company which doesn’t require background checks. In this situation, merely having a policy requiring background checks is enough to protect the company from potentially dishonest employees!
To assist with Fraud investigations, we can perform asset searches (an asset search can range from a simple search for property ownership to a highly comprehensive search) and bank account searches. If your debtor has money in a savings or checking account (including joint accounts) with a bank, we can facilitate the seizure of money from any accounts we identify to help satisfy a judgment. If you have a judgment, we can perform statewide, nationwide and even international bank account searches. Contact us today to learn more about our Bank Search fee schedule and turnaround time.
Background Checks
Our extensive range of domestic and international searches / information will help in deciding whether to seek legal action, employ alternative dispute resolutions, negotiate a settlement, seek a restraining order or verify potential risks and threats. We offer the following searches:
- Bankruptcies, liens & Judgments Search
- Business License
- Cellular Phone Number Search
- Civil History
- Corporate & Limited Partnership Filing Search
- Credential Verification
- Criminal History Database
- Criminal History On-Site
- Drivers History
- Education Verification
- Employment Verification
- Federal Civil History
- Federal Criminal History
- Fictitious Business Name Search
Not all our searches are listed. Call our office for your special needs. Our work conforms to all federal, state, and international laws, regulations and requirements.
