Workplace Investigations
Contributing Editors
Workplace investigations are growing in number, size and complexity. Employers are under greater scrutiny as of the importance of ESG rises. Regulated industries such as finance, healthcare and legal face additional hurdles, but public scrutiny of businesses and how they treat their people across the board has never been higher. Conducting a fair and thorough workplace investigation is therefore critical to the optimal operation, governance and legal exposure of every business.
IEL’s Guide to Workplace Investigations examines key issues that organisations need to consider as they initiate, conduct and conclude investigations in 29 major jurisdictions around the world.
Learn more about the response taken in specific countries or build your own report to compare approaches taken around the world.
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05. Can the employee under investigation bring legal action to stop the investigation?
05. Can the employee under investigation bring legal action to stop the investigation?
Netherlands
Netherlands
- at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
- at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
- at De Brauw Blackstone Westbroek
Usually there is some kind of regulation in place as a result of which the employee is obliged to cooperate with the investigation. Nonetheless, there are examples whereby the employee refuses to cooperate. Especially in workplace investigations it will be hard to be able to conduct an investigation in such a situation.
There are, however, no possibilities for an employee to bring legal action in order or with the result to stop the investigation.
Portugal
Portugal
- at Uría Menéndez - Proença de Carvalho
The employee under investigation can only bring legal action after the investigation is finished and if the employer has applied a disciplinary sanction.
According to article 329(7) of the Portuguese Labour Code, the employee may submit a complaint to the immediate superior officer that applied the sanction or may resort to a dispute resolution procedure as provided for by the applicable collective bargaining agreements or the law (this is uncommon, however).
Furthermore, should a company dismiss an employee in breach of the legal requirements described above, the latter may take legal action against the company within 60 days of the date of termination of his or her employment agreement. The employee may also choose to file a preliminary injunction against the employer seeking immediate (albeit provisional) reinstatement.
Notwithstanding this, if the employee can prove that they suffered damages as a result of being subject to an abusive and illegal investigation, they may file a complaint with the Labour Authorities or bring a claim against the employer and demand the payment of compensation for the damages caused.
Spain
Spain
- at Uría Menéndez
- at Uría Menéndez
No, an employee under investigation has no direct legal option to stop an investigation. This is because conducting an enquiry is within the employers’ legally acknowledged powers, attached to their capacity to manage their business and enforce employment contracts and internal policies.
Notwithstanding the above, if the investigation breaches an employee’s rights (privacy, dignity, remuneration, etc), the individual could:
- file a lawsuit aimed at stopping said breach (and potentially seeking an award for damages); or
- file a claim with the Labour Inspectorate with the same purpose.
The result, in this case, would stop the enquiry.
Switzerland
Switzerland
- at Bär & Karrer
- at Bär & Karrer
The accused could theoretically request a court to stop the investigation, for instance, by arguing that there is no reason for the investigation and that the investigation infringes the employee's personality rights. However, if the employer can prove that there were grounds for reasonable suspicion and is conducting the investigation properly, it is unlikely that such a request would be successful.