Please note these sample questions do not take into account the unique aspects of any given situation and will undoubtedly need to be changed or added to for your particular investigation. Please contact your Employee & Labor Relations representative for assistance with question development. You will need to ask follow-up questions based on the employee’s responses to your prepared questions. Thus, you may find it helpful to team with your manager if the situation is complex and designate one person to be the primary note-taker while the other is the primary questioner.

If a represented employee, at ANY time during the interview, tells you that they want to have a union representative present during questioning, STOP the interview and either give the employee a chance to make arrangements, or identify a specific date/time to restart the interview. See Section 17: Leaves of Absence for more information regarding right to representation.

When starting off an interview, you will want to say:

  • I need to ask you some questions about ____________. It’s extremely important that you answer my questions truthfully and completely. Is there any reason why you cannot answer my questions truthfully and completely today?
  • You are expected to keep this discussion confidential, and you are not to speak to coworkers or clients about the subject of this interview to protect the integrity of the investigation.
  • Retaliation is taken very seriously and can lead to termination.
  • You are expected to be honest and complete with your answers. Being dishonest in your answers can lead to disciplinary action, in and of itself.

Then proceed with your interview questions.

At the end of the interview, refrain from verbally counseling the employee, unless that is the level of corrective action you believe is warranted for the situation. More often you will want to remind the employee of the admonishments set forth above, and let the employee know you will be getting back to them as soon as possible with the outcome of the investigation, if anything, as a result of your investigation.

Alleged Internet and/or E-mail Misuse – Sample Interview Questions

  1. What is your understanding of the County’s Internet policy?
  2. How many times a day, on average, do you access the Internet?
  3. How long, on average, do you stay on the Internet each time?
  4. What types of sites have you accessed?
    1. (If EE doesn’t mention sex/adult sites): Have any sites contained adult or sexual material?
  5. One of our staff found inappropriate material in the printer that pertained to adult-oriented activities. It was generated under your password. What can you tell me about this?
    1. (If EE asks when it happened): The website was accessed on (DATE) at (TIME).
    1. (If EE admits to it): What led up to your doing so? Why did you think it was okay to do that? Did you show it to anyone else in the office? Who else was around in your work area?
    1. (If EE denies it): I want to remind you that it is crucial that you be honest in your answers. Please think about your usage and be sure to give me complete and truthful answers. The report clearly links your password to the website. How do you explain this, if it wasn’t you who accessed the website?
    1. (If EE says someone used their password/accessed their computer): What do you do to safeguard your password? What do you do to safeguard your computer when you’re away from your desk? What are you supposed to be doing to safeguard them?
  6. How are your actions inconsistent with the County’s Internet Policy?
  7. Do you have anything you wish to add?

Alleged Discourtesy to Client – Sample Interview Questions

A client contacted me to complain about what she considers to have been inappropriate comments directed from you to her. This has to do with the client who (give a brief description).

  1. Please walk me through what you recall took place with this client on Tuesday.
  2. When she said she didn’t know who the baby’s father was, did you say: “What do you mean you don’t know? How could you not know?”
    1. (If EE denies it): Could you have said anything like that? Why do you think she would report that you said this to her?
  3. Did the client ever ask if she could see someone rather than yourself?
  4. What did you tell her?
    1. (If EE doesn’t say it): Did you tell her “I’m in charge here?”
    1. (If EE denies it): Why do you think she’d say you told her this?
    1. (If EE admits to it): What did you mean by that statement?
  5. In light of our discussion, how do you think you could have handled that situation differently?
  6. Is there anything else you want me to know?
  7. What would be your recommendation as to how to remedy the situation?

Alleged Misuse of Position – Sample Interview Questions

  1. NAME, talk with me about your experience with getting client bus passes from our department.
  2. When did that first start?
  3. How did it come about?
  4. Have you gotten them every month since then? (If no: how often?)
  5. How many do you receive at a time?
  6. What do you use them for?
  7. Do you recall asking NAME if she could provide bus passes to you for your children?
  8. What did you say to NAME?
  9. Did you tell her that you had been getting them from NAME?
  10. How often had NAME provided bus passes to you? How many bus passes per month?
  11. Do you know of anyone else who has obtained bus passes from NAME?
  12. Do you remember telling NAME, “Oh come on, I bet you he sells them!”?
  13. Has any other staff provided you with Department-issued bus passes?
  14. Is there anything else you can tell me about this matter?
  15. You need to inform me immediately if someone approaches you about the issue we just discussed.

Alleged Discourtesy to Coworker – Sample Interview Questions

  1. I understand that you took several days off while I was on vacation. How about if you start with telling me which days you were here and which days you didn’t work?
  2. Did anything unusual occur on Friday (11/21)?
    1. (If EE says “no”): Did you and NAME have some type of conversation regarding the fan?
  3. What do you recall saying to NAME?
  4. What do you recall NAME saying to you?
  5. Did you say anything else after the two of you directly spoke with each other?
    1. (If EE says “yes”): What did you say?
    1. (If EE says “no”, or gives you a very different version): It was reported that you were overheard saying, “She’s such a $%^&$ @#$%!”
    1. (If EE still denies it): Why do you think people would report having heard this?
  6. To whom were you speaking?
  7. What were your intentions in saying this comment?
  8. Why do you think your comment has caused concern?
  9. How could you have handled the situation differently?
  10. Is there anything else you want me to know?
  11. What would be your recommendation as to how to remedy the situation?
  12. What will you do if you have a future disagreement with a coworker?

2026-03-18