Evanston Human Resources Staff Certified For Internal Investigations

Evanston IL

19 April, 2022

6:00 PM

Description

News release from the City of Evanston: EVANSTON, IL — The City of Evanston is pleased to announce that four members of its Human Resources Division team have achieved certification as internal investigators, improving the City's ability to respond to employee concerns and appropriately investigate, document, report, and resolve workplace conflicts. Human Resources Division Manager Megan Fulara and all three of the division's human resources specialists, Mary Dankwa, Casey Solomon, and Jennifer Clough, completed an intensive, three-day training and certification program provided by HRcertification.com. In achieving the staff certifications, the City continued its progress towards implementing Salvatore, Prescott, Porter & Porter's nine recommendations following its investigation into misconduct among lakefront staff and the City's handling of the issue. Among SPPP's recommendations was revising the Human Resources Division's workplace investigation practices and ensuring that investigations are completed by trained investigators with adequate capacity. "The revelations of the past year have placed workplace safety at the center of our City's agenda," said Mayor Daniel Biss. "While culture change is necessarily a gradual process, our immediate first step has been to implement the recommendations we received from SPPP. I would like to thank our whole team for their unwavering dedication and swift work on this essential project." "The City of Evanston is committed to ensuring a healthy workplace environment and culture for all employees, including temporary, seasonal, part-time and full-time staff," said Interim City Manager Kelley Gandurski. "As the City continues to implement SPPP's recommendations, I advised our Human Resources team to complete this important training and certification program to ensure staff are equipped with the skills and expertise necessary to properly investigate workplace complaints and effectively resolve conflicts. Congratulations to our Human Resources staff on their achievement." "The Human Resources Division strives to provide all City staff with best practices, professional support, and guidance to succeed in their roles and in their careers," said Human Resources Division Manager Megan Fulara. "The division will continue to explore and engage in professional development opportunities that will allow the City to serve as an employer of choice with skilled professional staff, excellent employee benefits, and an employee-friendly workplace culture." In addition to achieving internal investigations certification, Solomon and Dankwa also recently received additional Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) training, helping the division provide qualified advice to employees seeking medical leave. For more information, please call/text 847-448-4311 or simply dial 311 in Evanston. This release was produced by City of Evanston. The views expressed here are the author's own.