Get a workplace investigation pack for complaints, misconduct and process issues

It is usually a good fit when an employer has moved beyond an informal concern and needs a more structured process. That might involve a complaint between staff members, alleged misconduct, performance issues with conflicting accounts, concerns about contractor behaviour, or a workplace risk issue that needs to be documented properly. The key issue is usually whether you need targeted drafting, process help or broader advice. If the matter may lead to disciplinary action or a defended dispute, getting the investigation steps right early can be important.

The service can include a consultation, an investigation plan, legal input on process, drafting or review of letters or other communications, guidance on evidence gathering, and support with an investigation report or report template. The exact mix depends on the issue you are dealing with and the material already in place. Some matters need help framing allegations and interview steps. Others need support documenting findings clearly. The practical working model can be just as important as the contract wording, especially where the people involved are not all standard employees.

Common risks include starting the process without clear allegations, failing to keep records, asking the wrong questions, overlooking relevant documents, or moving to an outcome before the facts have been tested properly. There can also be added complexity where the person involved is a contractor, director, casual worker or someone in a mixed role. The drafting should be matched to the commercial arrangement, the documents already in use and the facts around how the work is performed. Legal support We will make the key issues clear so you can decide what to do next.

It can, where classification questions affect how the investigation should be handled. For example, if the issue involves a contractor who works closely within your business, the practical relationship may matter as much as the written agreement when deciding what process is appropriate and what risks exist. That does not turn this into a full classification review in every case, but it does mean we can factor working arrangement issues into the investigation advice where relevant. If a deeper employment status review is needed, that may require separate work.

That depends on what the investigation finds and what decision the employer then needs to make. In some matters, the next step is internal action such as performance management, a disciplinary process, policy changes or closing the matter with no further action. In others, the findings may show that more evidence is needed or that the issue is wider than first thought. This service can help you get to that decision point with better structure and documentation, but any later dispute representation or ongoing management support would be separate.

Just submit an enquiry via this page or click the 'get started' button on our website to submit an enquiry. After you've submitted an enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review your enquiry within 1 business day and get in touch to get a better idea of exactly what you are looking for.

Then your legal consultant will send through an email with a bit more information about the services you need, along with a fixed fee quote setting out costs, scope of the service and timing. Have a read through it, and if you're happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online - easy!

Once you've formally accepted, we'll connect you with a specialist lawyer and they will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if they need to get in touch.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Workplace Investigation Pack service, pricing starts from $2,000.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We operate completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in New Zealand. We have office spaces in Sydney, and in Melbourne, but our use of technology allows our team members to work remotely from around the world. Our legal team are mostly based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We also have a London office for Sprintlaw UK.

Our legal team is made up of experienced lawyers, who are specialists in various areas of law and hold an Australian legal practising certificate. None of our Sprintlaw lawyers are New Zealand qualified lawyers and they do not currently hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

They provide legal services working remotely from Australia via our 'legal consultancy' model, through which (under section 6 and section 35 of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006) our Australian legal team are permitted to provide legal services to New Zealand businesses provided they do not provide services in certain 'reserved' areas of law. You can read our FAQ page to learn a bit more about our 'legal consultancy' model.

Given the strong similarities between Australian and New Zealand law, and the areas of law in which we practice (being small business and startup law), we do not view the fact that our lawyers have not qualified in New Zealand as having any substantive impact on the quality of our service. We are committed to ensuring that we provide high quality, affordable legal services to all our New Zealand clients.

Our legal team have all trained at leading firms, but have left the traditional corporate law world to join us on our mission to create a new and better way of delivering legal services. They have specialist expertise in technology law, intellectual property law, contract drafting and review, corporate law and commercial law.