- California Private Investigator License (PI#26311)
- 28202 Cabot Rd, Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677
Workplace Investigations in California
Navigate Complex Employee Complaint Investigations with Confidence. California’s employment laws mandate that employers conduct a “prompt, impartial, and thorough” investigation into employee complaints involving harassment, discrimination, or retaliation. These investigations are crucial in addressing allegations that may be unlawful or violate your company’s policies.
- +20 years of experience
- 5-Star Rated on Google
- Serving the entire State of California
- +20 years of experience
- 5-Star Rated on Google
PROUD MEMBERS OF:
EEOC Standards for Workplace Investigations
Failure to conduct a proper investigation could expose your business to legal risks. Each type of complaint requires a unique approach, but all must be taken seriously. To ensure compliance, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has established guidelines for addressing employee complaints that require investigation:
Prompt:
Investigations must be initiated and conducted promptly, as appropriate to the circumstances.
Impartial:
The investigator must be trained, experienced, and remain unbiased, avoiding any appearance of conflict or vested interest in the outcome.
Thorough:
The investigation should be meticulously planned, gathering and analyzing all relevant evidence, including credibility assessments, to reach a well-supported conclusion.
Why Licensing Matters for Workplace Investigations
In California, conducting workplace investigations is not just a matter of expertise—it’s a matter of legal compliance. Under California law, only California-licensed private investigators and attorneys are legally permitted to perform workplace investigations for external clients. This is a critical distinction, as many unlicensed individuals and firms may offer these services, putting employers at significant risk.
The Legal Risks of Using Unlicensed Investigators
If an unlicensed individual conducts a workplace investigation, the consequences can be severe:
Legal Consequences:
California law (Cal. B&P Code § 7523, et seq.) mandates that anyone conducting a workplace investigation without the proper licensing could face fines of up to $10,000, imprisonment for up to one year, or both.
Invalid Investigations:
Any investigation conducted by an unlicensed individual can be invalidated in the event of a grievance, civil service appeal, or civil lawsuit. This not only undermines the integrity of the investigation but also exposes the employer to potential criminal and civil liability.
Relying on an unlicensed investigator can lead to flawed findings, which may result in improper handling of employee complaints, escalating the issue further and damaging the organization’s reputation.
Why choose California Labor Solutions?
At California Labor Solutions, we understand the gravity of these legal requirements. Our Principal Licensed Workplace Investigator, Shawn Larry, holds a California Private Investigator License (PI#26311), ensuring that all investigations conducted by him and his team are conducted legally, objectively, and with the highest level of professionalism. We safeguard your organization by delivering investigation reports that are legally sound and compliant with California law.
Personalized
With a dedicated HR Advisor, we’ll deeply understand your business, crafting strategies to tackle your most significant HR challenges.
Proficient
We combine ongoing education with practical experience, ensuring our clients receive advanced knowledge and the highest quality HR services. It's that simple.
Partnership
Your success is our success. We treat your business as our own, offering scalable solutions that grow with your evolving needs—all at a price that makes sense.
Meet Your Chief Investigator:
Shawn P. Larry, J.D., SPHR, PI
With over 20 years of professional experience in California, Shawn Larry serves as our Principal HR Consultant & Workplace Investigator.
As CEO of California Labor Solutions, Shawn partners with clients to provide trusted, diplomatic guidance on their most crucial business decisions, offering a steady hand in navigating complex HR challenges.
More about our Leadership
Shawn brings exceptional HR leadership and effective solutions to a wide range of public and private sector organizations across California. His professional experience spans several critical roles:
- EEO Compliance Investigator & Diversity Officer
- HR Director for multiple California Community Colleges
- Chief Labor Contract Negotiator
- HR Consultant and Investigator for a diverse array of non-profit and public sector organizations, including Community Colleges, Cities, and State/Federal Governmental Agencies, as well as private sector organizations of all sizes, from micro businesses to large enterprises with 20 to 5,000+ employees
- California-Licensed Investigator having performed hundreds of workplace investigations involving harassment, discrimination, retaliation, and other types of misconduct
- Grievance administration in unionized work environments, with experience in litigating full evidentiary administrative hearings on disciplinary appeals, discrimination/retaliation complaints, and collective bargaining agreement (labor contract) disputes
- Mediator of employee issues and complaints that may eliminate the need for a workplace investigation. The mediation may also be conducted after an investigation fact finding process is finished to ensure the parties can eliminate their conflict and agree on terms to work better together
- J.D. from UOP-McGeorge Law School
- B.A. in Sociology from UC Santa Barbara
- California Private Investigator License (PI#26311)
- Certified Mediator specializing in complex workplace disputes
- HR Certifications earned including SPHR (Senior Professional in Human Resources) and IPMA-SCP (International Public Management Association for Human Resources – Senior Certified Professional)
With Shawn’s leadership and expertise, California Labor Solutions offers unparalleled HR and workplace investigation services, helping organizations across California manage their most challenging issues with confidence and integrity.
At California Labor Solutions (CLS), we specialize in providing licensed, external workplace investigations in California, handling cases of discrimination, harassment, retaliation, and other types of misconduct. With extensive experience in both the private sector and public/local government, we deliver thorough and legally compliant investigations.
We are one of the few HR firms in California licensed to conduct external workplace investigations, as only licensed attorneys, licensed private investigators, or internal HR professionals are permitted by law. Our principal investigator is a former EEO investigator, HR Director, and labor negotiator with over 20 years of experience, a law degree, and numerous HR certifications. This robust background ensures that our investigations are strategic, minimally disruptive to your operations, and result in comprehensive and reliable reports.
Our California-licensed investigators are dedicated to conducting objective and cost-effective external investigations. Based on our findings, we also provide strategic solutions to address any vulnerabilities that may have led to the issue in the first place.
Let’s Find Solutions for Your Workplace Investigations Challenges
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Headquarters
28202 Cabot Rd #300, Laguna Niguel, CA, 92677
Mail Address
PO Box 6425, Laguna Niguel, CA, 92607
Business Hours
Monday to Friday: 8:00 am to 4:00 pm
Latest Articles and News about Workplace Investigations
Workplace Investigation Frequently Asked Questions
An impartial investigation helps determine the facts when an allegation may violate company policies, standards, ethics, or the law. The goal is to ensure a fair process for both the complainant and respondent, resulting in reasoned findings based on the gathered evidence.
Workplace investigations should be conducted by professionals with the proper expertise, credentials, and impartiality to ensure accuracy and legal compliance. At California Labor Solutions, our licensed investigators have extensive experience handling cases involving employee complaints, misconduct, harassment, and discrimination. We work closely with HR teams to provide comprehensive, unbiased investigation reports that are reliable and actionable. By entrusting your workplace investigations to us, you ensure that every aspect is handled with care and in full compliance with California’s complex labor laws.
An investigation is required when indicated by law, policy, or practice. Consider the following to determine if an investigation is necessary:
- Are key facts in conflict?
- Is there a potential policy or legal violation?
- Is there a legal obligation to investigate?
- Does the complaint involve discrimination, and is the complainant in a protected category? Even if not, would the conduct still violate company rules or ethics?
To ensure the integrity of an internal investigation, ask the following questions to assess the suitability of the person chosen to lead the process:
- Have they worked closely with the involved parties?
- Are they aware of any prior complaints or gossip regarding the involved parties?
- Have they had negative interactions with either party?
- Are they investigating within their own reporting chain?
- Are they in a higher-ranking position than the parties involved?
- Does the case involve an executive-level respondent?
- Do they have sufficient experience and knowledge of California employment law to conduct the investigation competently?
- Can they produce a comprehensive report that includes credibility assessments and conclusions based on the facts and applicable policies?
- Are they prepared to defend their findings in a deposition or courtroom?
If allegations involve serious misconduct such as violence, sexual harassment, or embezzlement, consider interim actions to protect your workplace. These may include:
- Administrative leave, suspension, or transfer.
- Schedule adjustments.
- Counseling.
- Temporary restraining orders.