thorough investigation

What Makes a Workplace Investigation Thorough?

By Debra Reilly on November 11, 2009

The California Supreme Court in Cotran v. Rollins Hudig Hall International, Inc. established what constitutes "good cause" to terminate an employee under an implied contract that requires "good cause" to terminate. The Court held that in such cases an employer does not have to prove that allegations of misconduct are true, just that the employer…

Throughout her 30-year legal career, Debra L. Reilly has conducted over 900 internal workplace investigations for various counties, municipalities (including police departments and fire departments), water districts, sanitation districts, transportation authorities, public and private elementary schools (K-12), private and public colleges and universities, the United States Postal Service (holding a “sensitive” security clearance by the Postal Inspector’s Office), and a multitude of private sector employers . Debra has conducted employment investigations throughout the United States and California. She has testified in depositions, arbitrations, and trial concerning the findings of her investigations. Given her legal training and litigation experience representing both management and employees, Ms. Reilly’s investigations are impartial, objective, and thorough. Ms. Reilly has also testified as an expert witness in Human Resources standard practices in conducting harassment and discrimination investigations, as well as Human Resources standard practices in conducting reasonable accommodation assessments of disabled employees and engaging in the interactive process.