If you demand complete confidentiality and will not discuss the case unless you get it, the company may refer you to an outside source such as its employee assistance program. In this situation, the company probably will not have enough information to investigate your case, and this will jeopardize your ability to obtain any relief. The investigator The investigator does not have to be the same sex as you. You should be prepared to work with any investigator, male or female, who appears to be competent, fair and objective. If you are too embarrassed to reveal all the details to an investigator of the opposite sex, explore other options such as writing them down.
Companies sometimes appoint investigators from outside the company to investigate a case.
This often occurs when the harasser is a high-level employee, the regular investigator is implicated in the case or the company does not have a staff trained to handle investigations. If you object to the person selected by the company, raise your concern before the investigation gets underway. The investigator often begins the interview by confirming the company's policy against sexual harassment, reviewing the procedure for investigating claims and answering any questions you may have. Remember that the investigator must ask probing questions to get the facts and to decide whether harassment occurred. In order to present your best case, be prepared to give details.