Workflow 9
Employee Relations
Case management, balancing speed with fairness
Illustrative current-practice design
This is one worked example of how the process is commonly run, not a standard and not advice. Timings, thresholds and percentages are illustrative. Verify anything legally sensitive against local law and your own counsel.
Use it as a complete starting point, then adjust it for your company's strategy, culture, workforce, jurisdiction, collective agreements, technology, risk appetite and future-of-work direction.
Content last reviewed 28 July 2026.
Philosophy
HR is facilitator and coach, not judge. Speed matters, but only fair process survives review.
Cadence
Continuous; case reviews monthly, trend reporting quarterly
The steps
- 01
Intake and triage
- Case logged and categorised: performance concern below formal PM threshold, conduct, conflict, harassment, accommodation
- Severity determines the route and whether legal is consulted at intake
- 02
Investigation
Legally sensitive: verify locally- Scope and plan agreed before interviews begin
- Both parties receive regular status updates with appropriate confidentiality protections
- Findings documented against the standard of proof, not impressions
- 03
Accommodation route
Legally sensitive: verify locally- Begin an individualized and confidential accommodation process when a need is raised or reasonably apparent.
- Request only the information required to understand relevant functional limitations, restrictions and accommodation needs.
- Explore reasonable options collaboratively and document the agreed plan while protecting personal information.
- Review the plan when circumstances change or at an agreed cadence. Do not impose a universal 90-day review cycle.
- 04
Close and learn
- Outcome communicated and recorded
- Themes fed to HRBP and leadership quarterly
Who does what (RACI)
| Step | Responsible | Accountable | Consulted | Informed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Case intake | HR Ops / HRBP | HRBP | Manager | BU Leader |
| Investigation | HRBP | CHRO | Legal | Parties |
| Accommodation plan | HRBP | Manager | Occupational health, Legal | HR Ops |
SLAs to track
Case acknowledgement
1 business day
Investigation target
20 business days
Accommodation plan review
At an agreed cadence
Stress tests
Independent investigation needed
Use an appropriately independent internal or external investigator when reporting lines, seniority or conflicts could compromise perceived or actual fairness.
Future-of-work considerations
- Case intake and triage across distributed and hybrid teams
- Continuous listening data as an early signal, with consent and clear boundaries
- Privacy, bias and explainability controls on any case-management analytics
- Manager capacity as a factor in how much case handling sits with the line