Best Workplace Investigation Training in 2026

Best Workplace Investigation Training in 2026 for Australian businesses from AWPTI – Australian Workplace Training and Investigation.

To find out 15 reasons why keep reading.

1. The training is conducted by the principal of Australian Workplace Training and Investigation (AWPTI) Phil O’Brien who is a highly experienced and skilled workplace investigator, Lawyer and former member of the NSW Police who can guide you through the minefield of workplace investigations. Phil’s Linkedin profile
2. Phil has extensive experience handling complex investigations in to all areas of misconduct including bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, fraud, theft and other interpersonal issues including assault, threatening behaviour and grievances.
3. The training is based around the exact process that Phil uses in every single investigation.
4. The training is highly practical. During the course participants receive instruction and then work through an actual investigation scenario from the receipt of the complaints, reviewing and analysing the complaints, planning interviews, interviewing complainants and witnesses, reviewing statements, drafting allegations and interviewing the respondent.
5. The interviews are conducted with our facilitators playing the parts of complainants, witnesses and alleged respondents (perpetrators.) with participants using the best practice trauma informed interviewing techniques.
6. The participants will then discuss their findings and make a determination as to whether or not they have gathered sufficient evidence to substantiate their allegations or not and finally work through report writing.
7. AWPTI can also provide modified version of the course including sexual harassment investigation training  – details here and Fraud investigation training – details here
8. The courses can be tailored to your setting, for example the standard course investigation scenario is a bullying and sexual harassment complaint set in an office/warehouse environment. In the past we have set the investigation scenario in universities, school, hospitals and public sector organisations such as Councils.
9. The course and the investigation scenario can be tailored to suit your requirements.
10. The course can be extended if you have a larger number of participants.
11. We have international version that has been delivered in Malaysia to participants from all over South East Asia, to New Zealand and Papua New Guinea
12. This course can be provided in person at your site or remotely via Zoom or Teams for organisations with 3 of more participants, at a fixed rate with unlimited attendees, please contact AWPTI for details of the cost.
13. The course can also for individual HR professionals in an open course format remotely via Zoom – details here
14. Check out what past participant have said about the AWPTI Conducting Workplace Inverstigations course
15. The inclusions see below

Best Workplace Investigation Training in 2026 – All participants receive; (included in the cost of the course)

• A comprehensive workbook (over 180 pages)
• The complete AWPTI Workplace Investigation Document & Video Toolbox (value $1750.00) included in the cost of the course – details here
• Links to 3 investigation training webinars:
  Complaint Analysis
  Interview planning
  Complainant Interviewing.
• Links to 8 videos demonstrations of investigative interviews with the parties in the investigation scenario contained within the course conducted by our facilitators for review and future reference.

Best Workplace Investigation Training in 2026 – Contents of the 2 day full course –  behavioural misconduct

• Day 1
• What is the workplace & where does the workplace begin and end, what are the grey areas?
• Initial complaint/incident response and handling
• Types of complaints
• Misconduct or interpersonal conflict
• What is interpersonal conflict & overcoming interpersonal conflict
• What is workplace misconduct,
• Workplace polices and misconduct.
• What is workplace bullying & harassment?
• What is sexual harassment in the workplace?
• Components of sexual harassment & the sexual harassment continuum
• Respect@Work report and changes to sexual harassment laws including the new positive duty on employers.
• What is Discrimination in the workplace
• Conducting initial enquiries & taking reports
• Incident reports & complaint/Incident response forms
• Informal or formal investigations
• Investigations in the workplace
• Why investigate
• Misuse of resources, email and I.T
• Why do managers get complaints & Reasonable Management Action
• Investigation fundamentals
• Procedural Fairness, Bias and Conflict of Interest
• The investigation process
• Complaint analysis & the complaint ownership theory
• Planning investigations
• Complaint analysis
• Record keeping
• Evidence
• Unfair dismissal and the role of the investigation and the investigator
• Interview room set up
• Interview planning
• Types of questions to ask
• Investigative interview technique
• Person-cantered and trauma-informed investigation and interview technique
• PEACE method
• Dealing with difficult parties (See below)
• Role play interview preparation

Day two covers interviewing in depth

• Interviewing complainants and witnesses (role plays with AWPTI facilitators)
• Drafting legally compliant allegations
• Interviewing respondents (role play with AWPTI facilitator)
• Analysing and evaluating evidence (using evidence analysis matrix)
• Making findings
• Report writing
• Legal issues and responsibilities
• The Advanced Investigation document & Video toolbox

If you would like any further information , or you would like to discuss making a booking, Please contact AWPTI via our contact page or [email protected]