On 24 October 2019 Elizabeth Devine presented a paper on this topic to the Australasian Association of Workplace Investigators’ Conference ‘Workplace Investigations – Risky Business?’ which was held at the Grace Hotel in Sydney. The increasing awareness by employers of the need to act effectively in response to employee complaints has seen a significant growth in workplace investigations. While workplace investigations have proven to be an effective process for many employers, they have often created more problems for employers. Elizabeth’s presentation discussed the essential role of undertaking preliminary assessment in identifying the best method of responding to a complaint or incident and in assessing and managing the many risks associated with them,