Workplace complaints carry serious legal and financial risks to a company, so it's essential to act fast when you receive an employee complaint. But an ineffective or poorly handled investigation can land your company in even more trouble. The Essential Guide to Workplace Investigations shows you how to legally and successfully investigate and resolve any type of complaint or problem. It covers common workplace issues such as harassment, discrimination, workplace violence, drug and alcohol use and employee theft. The book guides you through the 10 steps of an effective investigation: deciding whether to investigate, taking immediate action, if necessary, choosing an investigator, planning the investigation, interviewing, gathering evidence, evaluating the evidence, taking action, documenting the investigation, following up, With Downloadable Forms You can download all the forms you need, including sample policies, checklists, sample documentation and resources, as well as audio interviews and scenarios, at nolo.com (instructions inside). The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) is the world's largest professional association devoted to human resource management. Our mission is to serve the needs of HR professionals by providing the most current and comprehensive resources, and to advance the profession by promoting HR's essential, strategic role. Founded in 1948, SHRM represents more than 250,000 individual members in over 140 countries, and has a network of more than 575 affiliated chapters in the United States, as well as offices in China and India. Visit SHRM at www.shrm.org. Book jacket.