“WANT SOME CHEESE WITH THAT WHINE?” – Handling Employee Complaints & Investigations

Description:  California law obligates employers to investigate employee complaints of potentially unlawful behavior, no matter how minor that complaint might be. How can the employer determine when the employee complaint is serious enough to involve unlawful behavior, and when an investigation is required? If an investigation is required, who should conduct it? What should be asked? How should it be finalized?

Topics will include the following:

• Recognizing employee complaints
• Knowing when to investigate a complaint
• Determining who should be investigating the complaint
• Who should be included in the investigation
• What questions should be asked?
• What should I do with the complainant and accused while I’m investigating?
• Is it confidential?
• Do I need an attorney?
• What do I say to witnesses?
• What do I tell the participants?
• What do I tell the complainant?
• What do I tell the accused?
• Should I record it?
• Where do I keep the files?
• Do I have to share my files?
• Training your supervisors
• Recommended and required policies

Speaker:  John Light

With over 40 years of experience, Jon offers employment counsel and training programs to companies of all sizes to reduce liability and protect against lawsuits.  His team represents over 5000 companies throughout California on day-to-day employment law issues, including over 250 hospitality clients covering hotels, country clubs and restaurants: including dinner houses, casual dining and fast-food franchisees.  Jon enjoys a stellar and long-standing reputation as a skilled trial attorney and his team has handled hundreds of class action and single-plaintiff cases in all aspects of wage and hour law and wrongful termination. Jon is a graduate of the UCLA School of Law, where he was a member of the Law Review. He is the author of two editions of the nationally acclaimed and award-winning book, The Cultural Encyclopedia of Baseball. He resides in Camarillo with his wife of 41 years, Angela, a retired public-school teacher.