Calgary Workplace Investigations

Independent, fair, and legally informed workplace investigations across Alberta.

Workplace complaints require a process that is impartial, careful, and legally informed. David Harris brings decades of employment law experience to workplace investigations involving harassment, discrimination, bullying, reprisal, misconduct, occupational health and safety concerns, and other serious workplace issues.

David is a former Canadian employment litigation lawyer and author of Wrongful Dismissal. He brings decades of employment law, human rights, occupational health and safety, and litigation experience to workplace investigation mandates.

Each investigation is conducted with careful attention to procedural fairness, relevant evidence, witness credibility, and clear written findings.

Contact David Harris

Why Employers Retain David Harris

Workplace investigations require independence, legal judgment, procedural fairness, and careful evidence assessment. David Harris brings decades of employment law experience to workplace investigation mandates in Calgary and across Alberta.

Workplace Investigation Services

David Harris conducts independent workplace investigations for employers involving serious workplace concerns, including harassment, discrimination, bullying, reprisal, misconduct, conflict of interest, occupational health and safety issues, and complaints involving managers or senior personnel.

Each investigation is conducted in a fair, unbiased, and legally informed manner, with careful attention to the rights of the complainant, the respondent, witnesses, and the employer’s need for a reliable and defensible process.

The Role of an Independent Workplace Investigator

An independent workplace investigator is a neutral fact-finder.

The investigator does not advocate for the employer, the complainant, or the respondent. The investigator’s role is to gather relevant evidence, interview the parties and witnesses, assess credibility where required, and make findings based on the evidence.

A properly conducted workplace investigation helps an employer understand what occurred, respond appropriately, and reduce legal and workplace risk.

Investigation Process

A workplace investigation may include:

1. reviewing the complaint and defining the issues to be investigated
2. identifying relevant documents and witnesses
3. interviewing the complainant, respondent, and witnesses
4. reviewing emails, text messages, workplace policies, records, and other relevant evidence
5. assessing conflicting evidence and credibility where necessary
6. making findings based on the balance of probabilities
7. preparing a written investigation report

The scope of the investigation is tailored to the seriousness of the allegations, the workplace context, and the employer’s legal and operational needs.

Where requested, the investigation report may include findings only, or findings together with recommendations.

When Should an Employer Hire an Independent Workplace Investigator?

An employer should consider hiring an independent workplace investigator when a complaint involves serious workplace concerns such as harassment, discrimination, bullying, reprisal, conflict of interest, misconduct, or occupational health and safety issues.

An external investigator may be especially appropriate where:

• the allegations involve a manager, supervisor, executive, or senior employee
• internal HR staff may be seen as lacking independence
• the complaint raises legal, human rights, or occupational health and safety issues
• credibility findings may be required
• the workplace relationship has become highly strained
• the employer requires a careful written report
• the matter may later be reviewed by a court, tribunal, arbitrator, regulator, or other decision-maker

Investigations are not solely complaint-driven. If an employer has reason to believe that offensive or unlawful workplace conduct may have occurred, the employer may have an obligation to investigate even where no formal complaint has been made.

What the Employer Receives

At the conclusion of a workplace investigation, the employer receives a clear and carefully organized investigation report. The report is designed to provide a reliable factual foundation for responding to the workplace issue.

Where requested, the report may include findings only, or findings together with recommendations. The scope of the report depends on the employer’s mandate and the nature of the workplace issue.

The goal is to provide a fair, neutral, and defensible record of what occurred.

Frequently Asked Questions

About David Harris

David Harris is a former Canadian employment litigation lawyer, workplace investigator, mediator, and author of legal publications on Canadian employment law, including Wrongful Dismissal.

David has decades of experience in employment law, workplace human rights, occupational health and safety, wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, and employer decision-making.

He has acted as trial and appellate counsel in hundreds of workplace cases and now conducts independent workplace investigations for employers who require a fair, neutral, and legally informed process.

His background in employment law, workplace human rights, occupational health and safety, and litigation allows him to conduct workplace investigations with careful attention to fairness, evidence, credibility, and legal risk.

Serving Calgary and Alberta Employers

David Harris is based in Calgary and conducts workplace investigation mandates throughout Alberta.

Clients may include private employers, public sector organizations, professional workplaces, non-profit organizations, boards, senior management teams, human resources departments, and legal counsel acting for employers.

Investigations may be conducted in person, remotely, or through a combination of in-person and video interviews, depending on the nature of the complaint, the location of witnesses, and the employer’s needs.

For employers outside Calgary, David can conduct workplace investigations across Alberta where a fair, independent, and legally informed process is required.

Need an Independent Workplace Investigator in Calgary or Alberta?

To discuss an independent workplace investigation in Calgary or elsewhere in Alberta, contact:

David Harris
david@empl-law.com

For scheduling or administrative inquiries:

Maureen
maureen@empl-law.com

Independent workplace investigations for employers in Calgary and across Alberta.

Related Resources and Professional Work

David Harris writes and publishes legal commentary and employment law resources for lawyers, HR professionals, employers, and students.

These resources reflect David’s broader work in Canadian employment law, workplace investigations, mediation, human rights, wrongful dismissal, constructive dismissal, and related workplace issues.

📑 Published on CanLII Connects

Read legal commentary on Luan v. ADP Canada Co. (2020 ABQB 387) as published on CanLII Connects, Canada’s legal commentary platform.