An employee allegedly emailed sensitive permit lists to a personal account. HR wants an internal review before any police call. Which investigation type and purpose does that describe?
Select an answer to reveal the explanation.
Short Explanation
HR's internal look-see is the workplace version of a referee review — did someone break the house rules? That is an administrative investigation, not a criminal trial and not a civil lawsuit yet. Preserve evidence carefully in case those other paths open later.
Full Explanation
Administrative investigations examine alleged policy or procedure violations inside the organization and support employment or disciplinary decisions. They differ from criminal investigations (state punishment) and civil actions (private redress). Beginning with an HR-led administrative review of suspected data mishandling is appropriate for policy enforcement, while preserving evidence if law enforcement or regulators later become involved.