COMPANY’S Policy Procedures/Manual:resource page

• PLEASE CHECK YOUR HANDBOOK

AND WEBPAGE..

Attachment… Sample Questions for Harassment Investigations

SAMPLE QUESTIONS FOR COMPLAINANT(resource page )

• What is the problem? What happened?• Who was involved?• When and where did the incident(s) take place?• Did anyone see (hear) this? Who? • Has this ever happened before? Anything

similar? • Have you talked to anyone else about this?

Who? When?

Sample Questions for Complainant(resource page)

• Have you talked with any managers or supervisors about this? Who? When?

• What was their reaction?• Are you aware of any notes, documents, etc,

that are relevant?• Have you kept or made any notes or documents

about this? If so, when were they made?• Do you know of any other employees with

similar concerns/issues?

Sample Questions for the Complainant(resource page)

• What do you think the accused might say about the allegations?

• Do you think you can work with or around the alleged offender?

• If do, what can the agency do to help?• If not, why not?• Do you have any suggestions or preferred

resolutions?• If an investigation is warranted, do you have any

additional facts or information that would be helpful to the investigator?

Sample Questions for a Witness(resource page)

• What is your relationship to the accussed and the alleged victim?• What testimony can you provide regarding this matter? • Depending on response, more detailed questions, ie as the

following: • Did the employee do or say anything to the harasser to alert him/her

that the conduct was unwelcome• Was the employee’s expression of unwelcome-ness implicitly or

explicitly given• Did the employee do anything that may have encouraged, solicited,

or incited the conduct• What effect did the conduct have on the employee• Did it affect him/her in performing his/her job• Did the employee seek counseling or medical help-if so how long

after the harassment began did this happen

Sample Questions for the Accused (resource page)

• What positions have you held? When?• Who have you supervised/worked with?• Are you aware of the allegations? How?• What is your response?• What is your view of the complainant’s

conduct?• Did the complainant ever complain to you

directly? If so, what did he or she say?

Sample Questions for the Accused(resource page)

• Do you have any documents you think are relevant to the issues involved?

• Do you have any witnesses you want me to talk with?• Do you know why the complainant would falsify these

allegations? (if accused says the allegations are untrue)• Has anyone spoken to you before this about these

allegations? If so, who? When? What was the outcome?• Have you spoken to anyone about your relationship with

the complainant? If so, who? When?

Sample Questions for the Accused (resource page)

• Have you ever made (racial, sexual, etc) comments toward any employees?

• Have you ever spent time with employees outside work? If so, when, who, why, how often?

• What are your relationships like with the complainant/other employees?

• Have you ever commented on the (race, gender, etc) attributes of the complainant?

• Does he/she say the conduct was welcome?

CREDIBILITY ASSESSMENT(resource page 10)

FOR EACH INTERVIEWEE ASSESS THE FOLLOWING FACTORS:

1. Body language

2. Reactions to allegations or questions—argumentative? Defensive?

Hostile?

3. Logic and consistency of the interviewee’s story

Credibility Assessment(resource page)

4. Whether or not the person was forthcoming with information

5. Did interviewee have the opportunity to see or hear what they are purporting to have seen or heard

5. To what extent are individual accounts independently corroborated by others

6. Does interviewee have anything to gain by siding with complainant or accused

Thank You!

Houston Worksource SolutionsKim Petersen