Another reason companies need to complete thorough investigations when they receive complaints about employees:

They could get hit with defamation claims if they believe and act on false allegations.

In one recent case, an employee was fired after her co-worker lodged a complaint with management. He claimed the woman told him she planned to take a gun to work and shoot her fellow employees.

The twist: The woman claimed she never made such a statement. She said the co-worker had sexually harassed her and was trying to get her fired before she could file a complaint.

However, the company not only fired her, but also told police about the alleged threats, leading to her being detained and searched by law enforcement.

The woman sued the co-worker and the company for defamation. A jury took her side and awarded her $500,000.

Cite: Chang-Craft v. Cameron and Alaska Airlines, Inc.

Tags: defamation, false accusation, jury