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.

Choose countries

 

Choose questions

Choose the questions you would like answering, or choose all for the full picture.

24. What next steps are available to the employer?

24. What next steps are available to the employer?

Flag / Icon

China

  • at Jingtian & Gongcheng
  • at Jingtian & Gongcheng
  • at Jingtian & Gongcheng
  • at Jingtian & Gongcheng

The employer may take disciplinary actions against the employee based on the investigation result and pursue their civil, administrative and even criminal liabilities. To be specific: 1) the employer may criticize and educate the employee, or take disciplinary actions such as warning, demotion and removal according to the internal rules and regulations of the employer. If the misconduct of the employee constitutes one of the circumstances stipulated in Article 39 of the Employment Contract Law of the PRC, the employer is entitled to take the most severe disciplinary action, namely termination of employment contract; 2) if the employee has caused economic loss to the employer, the employer may lawfully initiate a civil litigation recourse procedure; 3) if the employee violates the Law on Administrative Penalties for Public Security Administration of the PRC, the employer may deliver the case to the administrative department for corresponding administrative penalties; 4) if the employee is suspected of a crime, the employer should deliver the case to the public security authority and pursue his/her corresponding criminal liabilities according to the law.

Last updated on 29/11/2023

Flag / Icon
Finland

Finland

  • at Roschier
  • at Roschier

The employer decides whether misconduct has taken place or not. Depending on the case, the employer may recommend a workplace conciliation in which the parties try to find a solution that can be accepted by both sides. The employer may choose to give an oral reprimand or a written warning. If the legal conditions are met, the employer may also terminate the employment agreement.

Last updated on 15/09/2022