WHS Workplace Investigations
National Safe Work Month: five checks for your workplace complaint process
Oct
October’s National Safe Work Month is a useful prompt to review what happens after someone raises a workplace concern. A reporting policy matters, but so do the decisions, updates and support people experience when they use it.
For 2026, Safe Work Australia’s campaign theme is Safe work is for life. This article offers a practical complaint-handling check for Australian employers and HR teams: can your organisation respond promptly, keep an open mind and manage risks while the facts are established?
Why the complaint process deserves attention
Safe Work Australia identifies poor organisational justice as a psychosocial hazard. Its guidance includes the way decisions are made and people are treated. A complaint process therefore deserves attention both as a way to examine concerns and as a workplace experience in its own right.
An investigation can help establish facts. It does not replace the organisation’s broader work to identify and manage health and safety risks. Those tasks may need to proceed alongside each other.
Five questions to test your response
1. Does the person know what happens next?
Acknowledge the concern and explain who will assess it, how they can provide further information and when they should expect an update. Avoid promising a result before you understand the issues. If the next decision will take longer than expected, communicate that rather than letting an agreed update date pass.
2. Have you considered immediate needs without prejudging the facts?
Consider whether temporary arrangements or support are needed while the matter is assessed. Record why an arrangement was chosen, who will review it and when. An interim step should not be described as a finding against anyone. Seek appropriate advice where proposed changes could affect employment rights or safety.
3. Is the right person assessing the concern?
Check for actual or perceived conflicts before allocating the work. A manager named in the complaint should not simply take charge of examining their own conduct. Identify the skills, independence and time the task requires, then decide whether internal resources are sufficient.
4. Are the issues clear enough to examine fairly?
Separate the reported events from assumptions about motives or outcomes. Identify the conduct, approximate dates, people involved and available records. Keep the scope open to clarification: new information may change which enquiries are necessary. Give people a meaningful opportunity to respond to the issues relevant to them.
5. Who owns the follow-up?
Before the report is finished, decide who will consider the findings, communicate appropriate information and review any actions. Consider team working arrangements and ongoing support. An unsubstantiated allegation does not, by itself, show that a complaint was dishonest.
A 15-minute management exercise
Use a fictional scenario rather than a current confidential case: an employee says repeated dismissive comments in meetings are affecting their work. Ask your managers to write down the first three actions they would take, what they would avoid promising and who they would consult.
Compare the answers. If managers disagree about ownership, records or updates, use that gap to improve your process and training. Do not ask the group to decide whether the allegation is true from the short scenario.
When would independent investigation support help?
Consider support when the allegations are serious, senior people are involved, there is a conflict of interest or your team lacks capacity to conduct the necessary enquiries. The first discussion should clarify the matter and the support needed, rather than assume that every concern requires the same process.
Explore Synergy’s workplace investigation services or contact our Australian team to discuss your circumstances.
Official guidance
General process guidance for Australian workplaces. Requirements depend on the circumstances and applicable jurisdiction; seek advice for a specific matter.
