Trauma Informed

Unresolved or unaddressed conflict in the workplace breeds a host of untenable working conditions that can cause psychological harm to employees, disruptions to productivity, expensive, lengthy lawsuits, and negative publicity for employers.

At Reed Research, we know how disruptive and costly these conflicts can be. We exceed industry standards for investigator competency. We offer experienced, certified, trauma-informed workplace investigators committed to conducting fair and impartial investigations for your workplace. This is a critical component of your legal obligations as an employer to maintain a safe, healthy and respectful work environment free from harassment, discrimination and bullying.

We provide prompt, thorough, and confidential results that determine the root causes, make findings of fact, and recommend ways to prevent future incidents so you can resolve conflict and make clear, informed, and legally defensible decisions.

Furthermore, we provide timely workplace assessments tailored to your unique circumstances. These assessments are powerful tools for discovering potential conflict hotspots and concerns in your workspace, empowering you to proactively address them and prevent detrimental incidents.

Lastly, our expertise extends to restoring strained working relationships marred by conflict, ensuring a conducive and productive atmosphere for all stakeholders.

Investigators need to be trained in trauma-informed interviewing because trauma is common in workplace investigations, especially when it comes to harassment and bullying. Even non-violent traumatic events can violate a person’s sense of helplessness, hopelessness and despair. These feelings can undermine the investigator’s ability to connect with the person they seek information from.

Workplace harassment investigations are not criminal investigations; the investigator’s job is not to interrogate someone into a confession, cross-examine, or make moral judgments. When harassment is found to have occurred, parties often have to work together again later. This will already be a difficult ask without adding the indignities of being treated poorly by an investigator. The guiding principle during trauma-informed interviews is DO NO HARM, respecting every participant’s trauma throughout the process.