ABOUT

Every complex workplace dispute begins with a problem that standard HR processes aren’t quite designed to handle.

Picture a high-risk whistleblowing claim dropping onto a desk on a Friday afternoon. Or a serious allegation of misconduct involving a senior executive. In these moments, internal Employee Relations teams—as brilliant as they are—face a double bind: they are already stretched to capacity, and their proximity to the business makes total, visible neutrality impossible.

That is exactly when I am called in.

My path to becoming an independent investigator was shaped by a clear realisation: in highly regulated, reputationally sensitive environments like the NHS, higher education, and corporate sectors, a poorly handled grievance can dismantle a workplace culture overnight.

With a background rooted in employment law (LLB Hons) and professional human resources (MSc, Chartered CIPD), I founded Investigations Work to provide a sanctuary of objective, evidence-based truth.

When a crisis hits, I step into the environment as a calm, stabilising force. Whether I am interviewing frontline staff, collaborating with trade union representatives, or advising board members, my focus is on creating absolute psychological safety. I listen without bias, analyse with meticulous rigour, and build a clear, defensible narrative.

The Trusted External Safe Pair of Hands

Often, the stakes are so high that an organisation cannot afford for the investigation to be public knowledge. I am frequently brought in to conduct strictly confidential, "secret" investigations—discreetly gathering facts, reviewing digital data, and interviewing key stakeholders behind closed doors before a situation escalates into the public domain or a tribunal.

My clients know that when I manage a file, the process is airtight. The result of my work is a robust, transparent, and completely independent report designed to withstand the closest external or tribunal scrutiny.

But resolving the immediate case is only half the story. The true value of an independent review lies in what happens next. My findings don't just close a file; they provide Chief People Officers and HR Directors & Professionals with the unvarnished insights needed to mend fractured teams, protect budgets, and drive long-term cultural improvement.

Let’s Protect Your Organisation

A workplace crisis doesn't have to stall your operations or put your reputation at risk. Whether your team is facing an overwhelming casework backlog or you need a discreet, visibly independent expert to handle a sensitive matter right now, I can step in.

Operating flexibly and to tight timescales, I am available to scope briefs and begin reviewing files within 48 hours.

Margaret Adewale 

LL.B (Hons); MSc; Chartered CIPD