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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13. Can non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) be used to keep the fact and substance of an investigation confidential?

13. Can non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) be used to keep the fact and substance of an investigation confidential?

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Switzerland

  • at Bär & Karrer
  • at Bär & Karrer

In addition to the above-mentioned statutory confidentiality obligations, separate non-disclosure agreements can be signed. In an internal investigation, the employee should be expressly instructed to maintain confidentiality.

Last updated on 15/09/2022

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Turkey

  • at Paksoy
  • at Paksoy
  • at Paksoy
  • at Paksoy

It is crucial to keep the events and facts of a workplace investigation confidential for the integrity of the process. It may be necessary to consider appropriate confidentiality measures to protect the complainant, mitigate risks, and preserve evidence. Damage to the confidentiality of the case can prevent the investigation team from bringing the case to a correct and complete conclusion. Although the labour legislation imposes a general confidentiality obligation on employees, NDAs can still be used as supplementary documents that may emphasise the confidentiality obligations of employees in workplace investigations and provide additional contractual protections such as penalties if there is a breach.

Last updated on 15/09/2022

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Vietnam

  • at Le & Tran Law Corporation
  • at Le & Tran Law Corporation

Generally, NDAs can be used to keep the facts and substance of a workplace investigation confidential. There are no express prohibitions against such NDAs. However, there are cases set out under Decree No. 13/2023/ND-CP on personal data protection where personal data is allowed or required to be disclosed without the data subject’s consent, in instances that are necessary to serve the public interest or to protect the life and health of the data subject.

Last updated on 25/09/2023