If an investigation is necessary to determine employee guilt or innocence, what is the recommended action?

When an investigation is necessary to assess an employee's conduct, suspending them with pay is a recommended action. This approach is designed to ensure that the individual remains financially supported during the investigation process, which is a crucial consideration for maintaining fairness and due process. Moreover, it helps demonstrate that the organization values fairness and is committed to a thorough and impartial investigation.

Suspending an employee with pay prevents any potential retaliation against the employee and safeguards their rights while the investigation unfolds. It removes the individual from the workplace environment, thereby minimizing the risk of interference with the investigation or disruption in the workplace.

In contrast, suspending without pay during an investigation may be perceived as punitive and could lead to claims of unfair treatment or discrimination, which could complicate the situation legally. Similarly, actions such as asking the employee to clean out the inventory closet or terminating them outright do not allow for a fair assessment of the facts and could contribute to a hostile work environment or violate organizational policies and legal frameworks governing employee rights.