Bullying or harassment
Allegations that need an impartial, properly structured investigation under the Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work.
An outside pair of hands
Independent workplace investigations that stand up
When misconduct, a grievance, or a bullying or harassment allegation arises, a thorough and impartial investigation is what protects fairness and keeps you compliant. PurpleTree runs independent workplace investigations for Irish employers, handling each inquiry professionally, discreetly, and in line with fair procedures and Irish employment law, so the outcome stands up if it is ever challenged.
Know when the situation calls for one.
When a Workplace Investigation Is Needed
Employers in Ireland have a duty to deal properly with serious workplace complaints, and a fair investigation is the foundation of any defensible decision that follows. Handle it poorly and you risk a WRC claim, damaged morale, and a dismissal or disciplinary outcome that collapses on procedure. PurpleTree's qualified HR consultants run impartial investigations from start to finish, with full attention to fair procedures and complete confidentiality. Our guide on how to conduct a fair and compliant HR investigation sets out the standard your process is measured against.
Discrimination claims
Complaints raised under the Employment Equality Acts on any of the nine protected grounds, where the exposure can be substantial.
Gross misconduct
Serious policy breaches that could justify dismissal, where the disciplinary outcome only stands if the investigation behind it was fair.
Grievances and safety
Formal grievances or significant health and safety concerns that need to be established as fact before any action is taken.
The right person to look into it.
Independent or Internal: Choosing the Right Investigator
The single most important decision in any workplace investigation is who carries it out. For routine, lower-level issues, an internal manager who has had no prior involvement can be the right choice.
For serious allegations, complaints against a senior person, small teams where everyone is too close to the parties, or anything that could end in dismissal, an independent external investigator is what removes the question of bias and protects the outcome.
As an independent Irish HR consultancy, PurpleTree can run the investigation in full or support your own internal team with templates, guidance and a second opinion. Where an investigation leads on to a sanction, our investigation, disciplinary and dismissal service keeps every stage joined up.
- Genuine impartialityAs an external party with no stake in the result, we deliver findings free of internal bias, which is exactly what a WRC adjudicator looks for.
- Deep employment-law knowledgeOur senior team grounds the process in Irish legislation and fair procedures, not an adapted UK template.
- Complete confidentialitySensitive matters are handled with discretion that protects everyone involved and the integrity of the process.
- Internal team supportIf you investigate in-house, we give you the terms of reference, interview structure and confidentiality guidance to keep it robust.
Meet the standard before anyone tests it.
Fair Procedures: What the WRC Measures You Against
Most workplace investigations that go wrong fail on procedure rather than on the facts. The standard is fair procedures, rooted in natural justice, and the WRC measures your process against the statutory Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures (SI 146/2000).
That means the person under investigation must know the precise allegation, see the evidence, get a genuine chance to respond, be allowed to be accompanied, and receive a decision from someone impartial.
Get any of those wrong and a later dismissal can be found unfair even where the misconduct clearly happened. PurpleTree builds each step into the investigation so the outcome is defensible, and our guide to the disciplinary procedure in Ireland shows how the investigation feeds the process that follows.
- A clear, written statement of the allegation given to the person concerned
- Full sight of the evidence and a real opportunity to respond
- The right to be accompanied at investigation and disciplinary meetings
- Separation of roles between investigator, decision-maker and appeal
- An impartial decision-maker and a documented, consistent record throughout
Sidestep the mistakes that sink a case.
Common Investigation Pitfalls and How We Help
Even with the best intentions, ordinary mistakes can compromise the fairness or legality of an investigation. Our service suits SMEs without dedicated internal HR, public sector bodies needing independent oversight, non-profits, and larger companies that want external support for a sensitive case. We help you steer clear of the errors that most often surface at the WRC, drawing on what we see in real cases such as harassment at work events and workplace discrimination. Sound HR policies and procedures in place beforehand make every investigation cleaner.
- Delaying action when a serious issue is first raised
- Letting a conflict of interest taint the investigator's independence
- Poor record-keeping and inconsistent notes across interviews
- Breaching confidentiality and undermining trust in the process
- Skipping fair-procedures steps, which is the single biggest risk under Irish law
A clear path from brief to findings.
Our Investigation Process, Step by Step
A robust investigation rests on careful evidence-gathering, meticulous documentation, and clear communication of the outcome. We set clear terms of reference, then identify and ethically gather witness testimony, documentary evidence, and any digital records, all handled in line with GDPR. We weigh the evidence objectively, reach findings of fact, and communicate them to the parties with sensitivity and clarity. From there we support whatever the findings call for, whether that is a disciplinary or grievance process, conflict resolution, or workplace mediation to rebuild a working relationship.
- Confidential contactDiscuss the situation with us in confidence before anything is set in motion.
- Terms of referenceWe agree the scope, the allegations to be examined, and a realistic timeline with your dedicated consultant.
- Investigation managementInterviews, evidence review and analysis are conducted efficiently, discreetly and fairly.
- Clear written reportYou receive a comprehensive report with findings of fact and practical, actionable recommendations.
- Follow-through supportWe help you implement the findings and put preventative measures in place to reduce future risk.
Experienced hands on your case from day one.
A Longford-Based Team, Grounded in Irish Employment Law
PurpleTree is an Irish HR consultancy based in Longford, serving employers across Ireland. When you engage us for an investigation, the process is built on Irish employment law and WRC practice rather than adapted generic guidance, and you deal with a named consultant who knows your case from the first call.
We scope each investigation to the matter in front of us and agree the fee with you in writing before we begin, so the cost is clear in advance.
For employers on an outsourced HR retainer, an investigation is often covered within the agreed level of support. If a complaint later escalates into a formal claim, the same team handles your WRC representation, so nothing is lost between stages.
- Independent investigators grounded in Irish employment law and fair procedures
- Scope and fee agreed in writing before we begin, with the cost clear in advance
- A named consultant who knows your case from day one
- Joined-up support through disciplinary, mediation and WRC stages if needed
Facing an issue that needs investigating?
Talk to PurpleTree for a confidential discussion. We will set out your options under Irish law and help you resolve the matter fairly and compliantly. Each investigation is scoped per case and quoted in writing in advance. See how we price HR support, or explore the wider employment advice service.
Free 5-minute HR Health Check
See where your business stands before the WRC does
Answer 40 straightforward questions on contracts, working time, pay, leave and policies, and get a clear read on where your compliance gaps sit and what to fix first.
Common questions from employers
Irish employers carry a duty to act on serious complaints, and a fair investigation is the first step. A formal grievance, a bullying or harassment allegation, a discrimination complaint, or a potential gross-misconduct issue should all trigger an investigation before any disciplinary decision is reached. The Code of Practice on the Prevention and Resolution of Bullying at Work expects a structured response to bullying allegations, and the disciplinary Code of Practice (SI 146/2000) underpins gross-misconduct cases. Acting on a serious complaint without a proper investigation is one of the most common reasons a later dismissal is found unfair at the WRC.
For routine, lower-level matters, an internal investigator who has had no prior involvement in the issue can be perfectly appropriate. For serious allegations, complaints against a senior person, situations where everyone internally is too close to the parties, or anything that could end in dismissal, an independent external investigator removes any question of bias and protects the outcome if it is later challenged at the WRC. PurpleTree can run the investigation in full as an independent external party, or support and guide your own internal team. See our investigation, disciplinary and dismissal service for how the stages fit together.
No. A core principle of fair procedures in Ireland is the separation of roles. The person who investigates and establishes the facts should not be the same person who decides the sanction, and ideally not the person who hears any appeal. Collapsing these roles into one manager is a frequent procedural flaw that leads to findings against employers, even where the underlying misconduct was genuine. We design the process so each stage is handled by the right person.
Fair procedures, rooted in natural justice, means the person under investigation knows the precise allegation against them, sees the evidence, gets a genuine opportunity to respond, is allowed to be accompanied, and receives a decision from an impartial decision-maker. WRC adjudicators measure your process against the Code of Practice on Grievance and Disciplinary Procedures (SI 146/2000). Even where the misconduct is real, a dismissal can be overturned purely because the procedure was flawed, so getting the process right is what protects the outcome.
Yes. As a matter of fair procedures, the employee should be allowed to be accompanied at investigation and disciplinary meetings, usually by a work colleague or a trade union representative. In serious cases that could lead to dismissal, refusing reasonable representation is itself a procedural risk that can undermine the outcome. Our article on the disciplinary hearing mistake that loses WRC cases sets out where employers most often go wrong on this point.
An investigation processes personal data, so interview notes, witness statements and evidence must be handled lawfully, kept secure, shared only with those who genuinely need them, and retained only as long as necessary. Confidentiality protects the people involved and the integrity of the process. It is never an absolute promise, though, because fair procedures still require the person under investigation to know the case against them and to see the relevant evidence. We balance both obligations as part of how we run the investigation.
There is no fixed statutory deadline, but the standard the WRC applies is that an investigation is completed without unreasonable delay. A drawn-out process damages morale, weakens evidence and is itself criticised by adjudicators, while a rushed one risks skipping a fair-procedures step. Most straightforward cases conclude within a few weeks. Complex matters with multiple witnesses or several allegations take longer. We agree a realistic timeline with you at the terms-of-reference stage and keep it moving.
The investigator produces a written report setting out the findings of fact and, where appropriate, a recommendation. Depending on those findings, the matter may move to a disciplinary or grievance process, to mediation, or to no further action. We scope every investigation to the case in front of us and agree the fee with you in writing before we begin. For employers on an outsourced HR retainer, an investigation is often covered within the agreed level of support. See how we price HR support.