Investigation Services
We offer tailored support to manage all or specific aspects of workplace investigations, allowing you to focus on your business.
Our process is built on ethical, procedurally fair, and best-practice methodologies to ensure reliable and balanced outcomes. Explore our investigative services below.
Code of Conduct Investigation
Codes of Conduct are organisational standards of ethical behaviour and professional conduct which employees are expected to maintain internally during interactions with clients and partners, and at times, after hours. An allegation of a violation of the code means that a member of staff may have acted in a way contrary to the code.
Employee misconduct can include inappropriate behaviour, sexual misconduct, theft, fraud or assault, being intoxicated in the workplace or refusing to carry out lawful and reasonable instruction that is part of the employee’s contract of employment.
It is imperative that disciplinary investigations are conducted with integrity, fairness, impartiality and competence. Equally, an investigation scope and purpose (terms of reference) ensures that the investigation starts with clear, achievable objectives, eliminating investigation creep. This applies to all code of conduct, reportable conduct, workplace bullying and harassment claims and cases.
Currently, National Workplace Investigations provides code of conduct investigation services to private clients including law firms, to more than 45 NSW Local Government councils, and to state, territory and Commonwealth Government organisations.
Fraud & Corruption
Fraud can happen anywhere. We need to trust our employees, yet if we are not prepared for fraud in the workplace, it can be harder to spot when it does occur. Monitoring movements of employees, business partners, or even competitors can sometimes be imperative for the collection of evidence when suspicious circumstances arise within a business.
Often at the centre of fraud and corruption-related matters are poor workplace procedures. Poor procedures leave loopholes for those that know the system to exploit it to their advantage. Workplace fraud can take many forms. Some employees may not even realise that they are taking part in a fraudulent activity.
A poorly planned fraud and corruption investigation may deal with the allegation at hand, but fails to identify and reveal whether there are systemic or procedural problems. National Workplace Investigations conducts fraud and corruption investigations for various government organisations and has worked extensively with the relevant state oversight bodies in such matters.
Procurement & Contract Fraud
Similar to workplace fraud and corruption, procurement and contract management fraud can take many forms such as favouring a particular supplier for personal gain. This is not always from a monetary perspective: it can be to benefit a friend or may involve offering favourable advice during a tendering process.
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As part of the broader services offering through Nemesis Consultancy Group; National Workplace Investigations have years experience in investigating workplace fraud, corruption and contract management extortion. We can manage the entire investigation process from receiving and documenting a suspected fraudulent activity through to developing an allegation letter, interviewing parties and finalising the investigation with a detailed written report.
Procurement and contract fraud can be difficult to identify and investigate. Generally, key issues will be identified relating to an organisation’s policy and procedures, poor fraud control processes or a lack thereof. Such investigations commonly require complex data mining and analysis of information from various systems such as procurement, finance, rosters, building access data and perhaps vehicle GPS positioning. National Workplace Investigations has forensic accountants and computer forensic specialists who provide technical expertise in such matters.
Tailored Investigations & Solutions
With extensive expertise across administrative, civil, and criminal investigations, National Workplace Investigations is equipped to meet and exceed your specific needs.
We provide discreet, precise services for high-profile clients, including sporting personalities and celebrities, often handling sensitive matters involving allegations of improper or criminal conduct by employees.
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Our team has conducted highly confidential and specialised investigations for international government clients, addressing allegations of fraud, money laundering, and theft, with direct reporting to senior officials, including deputy prime ministers.
With a global reach, we operate effectively in almost any country, offering tailored solutions for complex investigative challenges. Depending on the scope, investigations can incorporate surveillance, security, and forensic review.Our team is supported by experienced analysts, including former law enforcement professionals from the UK, UN, Australia, and the US. Their expertise enables us to process and simplify large data sets into actionable insights. When necessary, our strategies include surveillance, electronic monitoring (where legally permitted), and evidence analysis and charting.
No matter your workplace investigation needs, National Workplace Investigations will craft a solution specifically designed for your organisation.
Workplace Accidents
The serious injury or death of a person in a workplace accident is tragic and brings an enormous amount of emotion to an already difficult process of establishing what happened and why.
The investigations by various state, territory or federal Comcare, WorkSafe and WorkCover agencies that follow can often be overwhelming to the organisation involved. For several years, National Workplace Investigations has undertaken investigations into workplace accidents where serious injury or death has occurred.
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The investigation process can include incident scene preservation and examination, interviewing of relevant staff and stakeholders, and reviewing systems, processes and procedures central to the task being carried out prior to the accident. The key to the investigation is to establish what happened, how and why it happened, and most importantly what can be learnt from it.
We have experience in undertaking such investigations both within Australia and for an international mining company in Papua New Guinea, working collaboratively with work, health and safety regulators. We are experienced in working with clients’ lawyers and operating under instruction protected by legal professional privilege.
Workplace Harassment & Bullying
Even though many organisations put best practices in place, workplace harassment and bullying still happens. Workplace bullying occurs when a person engages repeatedly in unreasonable acts towards an individual or group of workers and the behaviour creates a risk to the health and safety of the individual subject of the act.
A poor workplace investigation regarding bullying and harassment will often cause more harm than good to all parties involved. In such matters it is imperative that communication with all parties occurs, to assist in alleviating the difficulties.
The investigation can often involve one version pitted against another, a difficult proposition to unravel. It is the ability of a skilled investigator to be able to work their way through a maze of human emotion and, at times, voluminous documented evidence to be able to arrive at the right outcome. The team at National Workplace Investigations are experts in the field.
Reportable Conduct & Incidents
National Workplace Investigations in collaboration with Child Safe Specialists Australia offer child safe services in line with the national principles for child safe organisations as outlined by the Royal Commission. National Workplace Investigations forms part of the broader Nemesis Consultancy Group and is one of few companies that can offer child safe services from business audits, investigations through to child safe training services.
A reportable conduct includes: Any sexual offence or sexual misconduct committed against, with or in the presence of a child. It includes child pornography offences and any assault, ill-treatment or neglect of a child or behaviour that causes psychological harm to a child. A child is any person under the age of 18 years of age. If an allegation is made that infers a reportable conduct incident has occurred, this must become a reportable incident.
A reportable incident includes: Any of the following in connection with an employee, or a funded provider, and a person with disability living in supported group accommodation. - Any sexual offence committed against, with, or in the presence of the person with disability - Sexual misconduct committed against, with, or in the presence with the person with disability - An assault of a person with disability - Ill treatment or neglect of the person with disability
With either reportable conduct or a reportable incident, there is often confusion and difficulty that stems from the allegation. This affects all parties differently and such investigations need to be undertaken only by those with sufficient experience in this area.
Owing to the frequent overlap between the respective reportable conduct schemes and the employment and criminal law processes across jurisdictions, it is important investigators are skilled in conducting both reportable conduct and employment investigations and have a detailed understanding of the criminal law process.
In such matters, there are specific regulatory requirements that must be met by the organisation including reporting in set timeframes, and the ongoing management of the risks associated with parties to the complaint (victim, other vulnerable persons and the respondent). This will also include the requirement to communicate with the child or person with disability, as well as the person subject of the allegation(s), in an appropriate and lawful manner.The interview of a child or person with disability must be undertaken only by those with sufficient experience to do this task.
Consulting Services
In addition to undertaking investigations, National Workplace Investigations can undertake independent reviews of investigations that have been completed by other investigators or legal firms.
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We also have experience in writing and/or reviewing organisational procedures regarding workplace investigations, in particular as they relate to meeting independent oversight standards such as those required by state or Commonwealth Ombudsman’s offices.
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National Workplace Investigations provides consultancy services to compliance and enforcement agencies, human resource and professional standards areas of organisations and child protection organisations to help them build and strengthen their operating systems and perform their duties. This includes providing consultancy in relation to strategic and operational direction and developing accompanying documentation to be utilised by the agencies. It also includes developing contextualised compliance and enforcement investigation manuals including templates, investigation guidelines and procedures.
During the past eight years, we have provided these services to various agencies including Access Canberra, Transport Canberra and City Services, NSW department of education, National Heavy Vehicle Regulator and a number of religious organisations around Australia, Tasmanian Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management.
Our Process Includes
Triaging Complaints
Identifying Key Issues
Drafting Notifications & Allegation
Letters
Conducting Interviews
Gathering
Evidence
Pursuing Lines of Inquiry
Providing Complete
Reports​
Evaluating Findings & Insights​
Our team adheres to workplace standards and guidelines, including the Australian Government Investigation Standards and recommended best practices from relevant Ombudsman offices.
Who We Have Worked With
