We still remember it four months later. The question is: Having had a few months to reflect, did you, as an employer, learn from it? Do you know what your company would do if presented with the same scenario? Have you conducted a thoughtful policy review on office relationships and ensured that your handbook is up to date? 

Proper documentation is essential to effective, defensible workplace investigations. For both internal and external workplace investigators, maintaining accurate investigation records not only provides transparency but also can serve as critical protection against challenges to the impartiality or reliability of investigation findings.

This case also highlights how workplace investigations should be conducted to ensure compliance with employment laws. Employers must take harassment complaints seriously, respond promptly, and conduct impartial investigations. Failure to do so can escalate legal liability and damage an organization’s reputation.