Q&A with The Workplace Advisors – March 2025

Ever feel like you're starring in your own workplace detective show? You check your voicemail and — bam! — an anonymous tip about "inappropriate conduct" with no details, no name, and no callback number. So… what now? 

Before you grab your magnifying glass and go full Sherlock, let’s break down the best approach to handling vague anonymous complaints with The Workplace Advisors.

Question: We received an anonymous complaint about one of our employees. It was a vague "inappropriate conduct" complaint left on our general voicemail. We have no way of following up with the person or anything specific to pursue through an investigation. What do we do?

Answer: While you should take every complaint seriously, you probably need more information to investigate. 

If there is no way to contact the person who made the complaint (i.e., caller ID), you can do whatever you can with the information they provided. You can also determine how much credibility you want to place in the complaint of someone who won't give you their name or specific details

If the allegations can be explored through a resource such as security footage or account reconciliation, try that. 

You can also inform the named employee of the complaint and see what they say - maybe they know who the person is or the underlying reason for the complaint. Do not feel like you need to discipline the employee if there is not enough evidence of wrongdoing.

As with any investigation, exhaust whatever means you have to try to find out what actually happened. Document everything- noting your actions and the challenges you faced during the investigation. Then, if appropriate, you can reopen the case if you get more information in the future.