Investigative Meetings – Should These be Conducted on An Individual Or Group Basis?

Rolanda: We have a situation where two colleagues have raised a grievance against a manager, alleging bullying behaviour. There is a feeling that it's not that serious that it might lead to dismissal, but they find it strange that the investigating officer interviewed both complainants at the same time and they signed a joint statement.

The person who's asking the question says, "I've never come across this before in almost 30 years of management where witnesses are not interviewed separately. Is this okay?"

Seamus: I think the preference is always that when there are statements taken, they are taken separately. There's a bit of a natural justice element to that as well. If they're