The majority of investigative work for termination cases involves employee abuse of corporate
assets. Incidents that create a hostile work environment, such as viewing pornography
in the workplace and sending inappropriate e-mail messages, are the predominant types of
cases investigated. The following sections describe key points for conducting an investigation
that might lead to an employee’s termination. Consulting with your organization’s general
counsel and Human Resources Department for specific directions on how to handle these
investigations is recommended. Your organization must have appropriate policies in place,
as described in Chapter 1.