Harassment Investigation Level 1 & 2

Virtual Session – August 19-23, 2024 – CST

PRICING & DATES – 5-DAY PROGRAM

Event Dates: 

August 19-21, 2024
Harassment Investigation Level 1
$1,250.00 + GST (3 day program)

August 19-23, 2024
Harassment Investigation Level 1 & 2
$2,250.00 + GST (5 day program)

August 22-23, 2024
Harassment Investigation Level Two (prior attendance in Level 1 required)
$1,250 + GST (2 day program)

Venue: Virtual Classroom (CST)
*This program has been approved for Continuing Professional Development hours towards maintaining your CPHR Designation.

Since 1990 Hill Advisory Services Inc. has been investigating cases of harassment / discrimination / bullying/ sexual harassment and workplace violence in industries across Canada.  We provide training to human resource staff and internal investigators in the same safe, reliable and respectful techniques that we use to conduct fair, thorough and effective investigations. Our entire course is built around the concept of a formal case of harassment/discrimination/bullying/sexual harassment and provides hours of professional development on how to properly plan, and execute a thorough investigation.

A Certificate of completion is provided at the conclusion of the program.

“Each night when asked by my wife how it went, I described the course as incredible, intense, and informative. The scenario you provided us to work on, the template for addressing and working with groups, as well as the timing and pace of the course were felt by me to be outstanding. In short, I thought all levels 1, 2 & 3 were masterfully done and want to say thank you for teaching me so much about conducting an investigation.” – Client Testimonial

Harassment Investigation Level 1

3-day program, August 19-21, 2024

Our entire three-day course is built around the concept of a formal case of harassment/discrimination/bullying/sexual harassment and provides hours of professional development on how to properly plan, and execute a thorough investigation.

Specific Learning Objectives:

Roles and responsibilities of the investigator

• maintaining objectivity
• clarifying the issues
• determining and substantiating facts
• investigating thoroughly
• allowing a fair hearing for all
• documenting and taking statements
• exploring resolution

Small group work (with facilitator feedback)

• how to prepare for an investigation and an interview
  • logistics
  • answering questions
  • complete preparation

Small group work (with facilitator feedback)

• detailed information analysis task
  • how to analyze information
  • priority of questions
  • question phrasing

Conducting interviews

• mandate development
• establishing a comfort level
• evidence management
• identifying hearsay
• questioning techniques
• maintaining neutral demeanour and comments
• body language
• timing
• planning for potential behaviour concerns

Coordinating the process

• scheduling
• information disclosure
• order of witness scheduling
• re-direct

The entire day is spent in two groups. Participants are presented with an initial complaint from a real-life harassment/discrimination/bullying/sexual harassment case and are asked to work in their groups to develop questions for a Complainant, a Respondent and a Witness. They are asked to prepare for the interviews as they would in their workplace, complete with mandate taking into account the learning from Day 1 of the course. Participants are then asked to role play with the assistance of professional actors, who come in the play the Complainant, the Respondent and a Witness. The facilitator takes the role of Union Rep or Lawyer in alternating interview processes. When participants are not actively engaged in the questioning of the witness, they are asked to take notes, and to process additional questions that may arise. The entire day is spent in this way, with immediate and ongoing feedback to the participants in the form of realistic reactions. Some important areas covered are:

• information to share in a mandate
• how to reply to questions/concerns regarding mandate
• how to phrase questions
• how to compile accurate notes
• disclosure and retention of notes
• how to account for additional questions
• how to set a witness at ease
• how to maintain appropriate comments and body language
• how to deal with Union Rep and Lawyer questions
• how to deal with distractions
• how to conclude an interview
• how to ensure information and investigations are unbiased
• how to ensure investigations are based on evidence

The morning is spent in small group analysis of information received from day 2. The groups are asked to review their notes in detail and determine; what was agreed to by the parties, what was not agreed to, what was missed due to investigator error, what information still needs to be collected and to identify the central issue in the case of harassment/discrimination/bullying/sexual harassment.

Some important areas covered are:

• attention to detail
• how to identify assumptions
• how to identify bias
• the impact of bias on an investigation and its possible appeal
• how witness information comes into play
• how to formulate a witness list
• evidence management
• how to take a strategic view in analysis

The afternoon is spent in providing feedback on the interview process from the facilitator. Some important areas covered are:

• how questions were phrased
• how to deal with reactions seen
• mandate delivery
• how to close an interview
• how to gather and maintain evidence
• note taking
• statement preparation
• confidentiality

Feedback is also presented regarding the case. We investigated the actual claim, so we spend time discussing the real-life case, in order to provide deeper understanding and conclusion.

The remainder of the time is spent in a large group reviewing:

• how to prepare questions
• how to prepare notes
• how to prepare statements
• how to prepare final reports
• what to think about when writing conclusions
• the principles of natural justice

Finally, the instructor circles back on the initial questions that participants posed on day one of the training which identified “must haves” in the subject matter area.

Harassment Investigation Level 2

2-day program, August 22-23, 2024

The entire day is spent in small groups. Participants are presented with two statements from a real-life case of harassment/discrimination/bullying/sexual harassment. and are asked to work in their groups to develop questions for a number of Witnesses. They are asked to prepare for the interviews as they would in their workplace, complete with mandate and taking into account the learning from Level 1 of the course. Participants are then asked to role play with the assistance of professional actors, who come in the play two Witnesses. The facilitator provides real-time feedback on the interviews while in session. When participants are not actively engaged in the questioning of the witness, they are asked to take notes, and to process additional questions that may arise. The entire day is spent in this way, with immediate and ongoing feedback to the participants in the form of realistic reactions and facilitator feedback. Some important areas covered are:

• information to share in a mandate
• how to reply to questions/concerns regarding mandate
• how to phrase questions
• how to compile accurate notes
• how to account for additional questions
• how to set a witness at ease/difficult interviews
• how to maintain appropriate comments and body language
• how to deal with distractions
• how to conclude an interview
• how to ensure information and investigations are unbiased
• how to ensure investigations are based on evidence
• While the learnings are in similar topic areas, in the Level 2 course, more time is spent on the subtitles of each point and building off previous teachings.

The entire day is spent in small groups. Participants begin with information gathered to date and are asked to prepare for re-direct interviews as they would in their workplace, complete with mandate taking into account the learning from Level 1 of the course. Participants are then asked to role play with the assistance of professional actors, who come in the play a Complainant and a Respondent. The facilitator provides real-time feedback on the interviews while in session. When participants are not actively engaged in the questioning of the witness, they are asked to take notes, and to process additional questions that may arise. The entire day is spent in this way, with immediate and ongoing feedback to the participants in the form of realistic reactions and facilitator feedback.

• Some important areas covered are:
• how to phrase questions
• how to compile accurate notes
• how to account for additional questions
• how to set a witness at ease
• how to maintain appropriate comments and body language
• how to deal with distractions
• how to deal with escalating behaviour
• how to deal with a medical concern in the process
• how to conclude an interview
• how to ensure information and investigations are unbiased
• how to ensure investigations are based on evidence
• While the learnings are in similar topic areas, in the Level 2 course, more time is spent on the subtitles of each point and building off previous teachings.
• Feedback is also presented regarding the case. We investigated the actual claim, so we spend time discussing the real life case, in order to provide deeper understanding and conclusion.

Start time is 9 am CST daily. Contact us for detailed, daily timing at sswain@hilladvisory.com. In-house quotations available upon request.

“Upon completing the Harassment Investigation Training, I felt much more equipped to handle complaints of harassment and other workplace issues that came to me.” – Client Testimonial