Interviewing the Alleged Harasser

The next step is to interview the alleged harasser. Remember the adage "innocent until proven guilty" during this process! Treat this person fairly and ask questions without judgment.

Include the following questions and content in your interview:

• State that you are conducting this investigation at the request of the employer.
• Let the alleged harasser know what the allegations are.
• Tell him or her that they have the right to respond to each allegation. Give him or her time to respond to each.
• Let them talk in full before asking follow-up questions.
• Try to develop a timeline of events.
• Try to have questions planned in advance. Ask "who, what, where, when, and how" questions.
• Do not move on to the next question until you have gotten a true answer to the question you are asking.

When closing your interview, do the following:

• Ask if there is anything he or she would like to add.
• Ask if there is anyone who should be interviewed that can corroborate anything shared during this interview.
• Inform the alleged harasser not to do anything to interfere with the investigation.
• Let them know you may need to meet again as a part of this investigation.
• Review your company's retaliation policy. Make it clear that the complainant has a right to a workplace free of retaliation, as does anyone else involved in the investigation.
• Immediately after the meeting, write up your own notes and observations.

To learn more about Sexual Harassment Prevention Training For Supervisors visit our Cal/OSHA Sexual Harassment Prevention Training For Supervisors Online Training web page.