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EEOC Chairwoman, Ida Castro testified to the benefits
of using outside consultants to conduct workplace investigations of employee
complaints.
She says:
Outside investigations are an important
tool for employers seeking to comply with the civil rights laws. Small
businesses, for example, often do not have the in-house capacity to
conduct thorough and credible investigations, and therefore frequently
rely on outside entities for these services. . . .
| Small businesses,
however, are not the only employers that use outside counsel and
consultants to conduct discrimination and harassment investigations.
Large companies often turn to outside firms to enhance the
objectivity and credibility of their investigations. Federal
agencies, both for resource reasons and to assure impartial
investigations, also frequently contract with outside entities to
conduct EEO investigations. In any workplace, an outside
investigation may be the only appropriate option where the
person accused of wrongdoing is a high ranking official or there are
other conflicts of interest.
In addition, EEOC, along with other
civil rights enforcement agencies, recognizes the value of outside
monitoring and investigation in effectively resolving workplace
discrimination cases. Quite simply, an employer that has tolerated
discrimination in the past often needs external controls and support
to assure that it does not tolerate discrimination in the future.
Accordingly, in settling cases, we frequently seek commitments from
employers to use outside entities to monitor and investigate claims
of harassment and other forms of discrimination. |
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Beth K.
Whittenbury 
