Workplace Investigations
Workplace Investigations Training Ontario
Practical Training From Lawyers Who Investigate and Litigate
Most workplace training is delivered by facilitators who teach from policy manuals and slide decks. Our trainers conduct workplace investigations and appear in courtrooms and tribunals. That difference shows up in every session, in the examples we use, the questions we can answer, and the practical guidance we provide.
The Greenwood Law Team
Greenwood Law’s training team brings over 15 years of combined expertise in workplace investigations, employment law, and workplace defence, ensuring every program reflects current legal requirements and real-world practice.
Workplace Investigations Training
Greenwood Law delivers customized workplace training programs for HR professionals, managers, supervisors, executives, board members, and in-house counsel across Ontario. Every program is grounded in current Ontario legislation, the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA), the Ontario Human Rights Code, and the Employment Standards Act, 2000, and informed by what we see in active investigation and litigation practice.
Who We Work With
Our training clients range from HR professionals and people leaders who handle complaints day-to-day, to managers and supervisors who are usually the first person an employee talks to when something goes wrong. We also work with in-house counsel advising on investigation process and privilege, boards and senior executives who need to understand the governance side, and investigation teams, internal or external, looking to sharpen their skills in credibility assessment, trauma-informed practice, or report writing.
Hear From Our Clients
Workplace Investigations Training
Practical, scenario-based training for HR, managers, and in-house counsel, delivered by active investigators and litigators who bring real-world experience to every session.
Table of Contents
Hear From Our Clients
Our Training Programs
Workplace Investigation Fundamentals
A comprehensive program for HR professionals, managers, and in-house counsel who may be called upon to conduct or oversee workplace investigations. Covers the employer’s investigation obligations under the OHSA, investigation planning and scoping, threshold assessments, witness interview techniques, evidence gathering and preservation, credibility assessment, and report writing. Participants leave with a practical framework they can apply immediately.
Respectful Workplace Training
Ontario employers are required to maintain workplace harassment policies and provide information and instruction to workers on those policies. Our respectful workplace program goes beyond compliance, covering what constitutes harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and workplace violence under Ontario law, the responsibilities of managers and bystanders, and the practical consequences of failing to maintain a respectful workplace. We use real-world scenarios drawn from our investigation practice to make the content concrete and memorable.
Manager Obligations: Receiving and Responding to Complaints
When an employee raises a concern, what a manager does in the first minutes matters. This focused session trains managers and supervisors on their legal obligations when they become aware of a complaint or incident, including when to escalate, what to document, what not to say, how to protect confidentiality, and how to avoid the common mistakes that undermine investigations before they start. Particularly relevant given that the OHSA duty to investigate is triggered by “incidents and complaints,” not just formal written complaints, managers need to know that a casual disclosure in a hallway can activate their employer’s legal obligations.
Trauma-Informed Investigation Practices
An advanced program for investigators, HR professionals, and legal counsel covering the neuroscience of memory and trauma, how trauma affects witness recall and behaviour, why common trauma responses are frequently mistaken for dishonesty, and how to adapt interview techniques to elicit reliable information while minimizing further harm. This program draws directly on our team’s experience conducting trauma-informed workplace investigations.
Post-Investigation Decision-Making
Designed for HR leaders, in-house counsel, and executives who receive investigation reports and must decide what happens next. Covers how to read and evaluate an investigation report, employer obligations after the investigation, drafting closure communications that satisfy OHSA requirements, proportionality in discipline, managing workplace dynamics post-investigation, and preventing retaliation. Organizations that pair this training with our workplace restoration services tend to see better outcomes, the decision-makers understand the legal framework, and the restoration work has somewhere solid to land.
Board and Executive Briefings
Boards and senior leadership teams do not need a full-day deep dive, they need to understand their governance obligations, know what questions to ask when a complaint lands on the agenda, and appreciate the legal and organizational risk of getting the response wrong. These briefings are especially relevant for organizations in regulated industries where investigation findings can trigger reporting obligations to a professional college or regulator.
What Makes Our Training Different
We investigate
Our trainers are active workplace investigators who bring current, first-hand examples to every session, not hypotheticals from a textbook. When participants ask “what would actually happen if…?” we can answer from direct experience.
We litigate
Because our lawyers have appeared before the HRTO, the OLRB, and at all court levels, we can explain not just what the law requires, but what happens when things go wrong, how investigations are challenged, what courts look for, and where employers most commonly get into trouble.
We customize
Every program is tailored to the organization’s industry, size, workforce, and specific challenges. A training session for a veterinary clinic looks different from one designed for a financial services firm or a long-term care facility.
We keep it practical
Our sessions use scenario-based exercises, case studies drawn from real (anonymized) investigations, and interactive discussion. Participants practise applying principles, not just hearing about them.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workplace Investigations Training
Is workplace training legally required in Ontario?
The OHSA requires employers to develop workplace harassment policies and provide workers with information and instruction on those policies. The legislation does not tell you how long the training has to be or what format it needs to take, but it does require that workers actually understand the policy and the complaint process, which means a policy posted on the intranet is not enough. There is also a defensive value here: if a complaint or investigation comes later, being able to show that your people were properly trained goes a long way toward demonstrating good faith.
Can you customize training for our industry?
Always. A training session for a veterinary clinic with twelve employees looks nothing like one for a financial services firm with three hundred, and it shouldn’t. We tailor every program to the organization’s industry, size, and the specific challenges its people face. We have worked across healthcare, professional services, regulated professions, education, not-for-profit, and corporate environments.
How long are training sessions?
It depends on the topic and the audience. A manager obligations session or a board briefing can run 90 minutes. Investigation fundamentals or trauma-informed practices need a full day to do properly. We sort out the right format and depth with you during the planning conversation, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here.
Can training be delivered virtually?
Yes, we run both in-person and live virtual sessions. Virtual works particularly well for organizations with multiple offices or teams spread across Ontario, and we have found it does not sacrifice the interactive quality as long as the session is designed for that format from the start.
Who should attend workplace investigations training?
It depends on the program. Investigation fundamentals is designed for HR professionals and in-house counsel who may conduct or oversee investigations. Respectful workplace training should reach all employees. Manager obligations training is for anyone in a supervisory role, which, in practice, often includes people who do not think of themselves as “managers” but who employees treat as a first point of contact. If you are not sure who should be in the room, we will help you figure that out.
Workplace Investigations Training
We work with organizations to identify the training that will have the most impact, whether that is a single focused session or an ongoing program. Contact Greenwood Law to discuss your training needs. Our workplace investigation lawyers serve employers across Ontario and throughout Canada.
Areas We Serve
At Greenwood Law, we proudly serve clients across Ontario & throughout Canada, including:
