The Manchester City case: What can HR learn about workplace investigations?
Whether you’re a football fan or not, it’s hard to have missed the headlines surrounding Manchester City and the investigation into alleged financial rule breaches. While the world of Premier League football might seem a long way from the day-to-day challenges of HR, there are some surprisingly relevant lessons here, particularly when it comes to workplace investigations. The big takeaway? Don’t let things drag on, keep your eye on the facts and don’t let the rumour mill take over. These are simple principles but getting them right can make a real difference to how an investigation unfolds.
Why is it so important not to let investigations drag on?
One of the striking things about the Manchester City case is just how long it has taken to get to this stage. Concerns were raised in 2018, charges were announced in 2023, and the commission’s decision followed in 2025. And, as is often the case with complex legal proceedings, that hasn’t necessarily been the end of the story.
Now, I’m not suggesting that a workplace grievance is quite on the same scale as a Premier League investigation! But the principle is much the same: the longer it takes to resolve an issue, the more complicated things can become.
In the workplace, delays can mean more disagreements, more allegations and more people getting drawn into the situation. Positions become entrenched, relationships suffer and what started as a relatively straightforward complaint can turn into a much bigger headache.
Meanwhile, the rest of the team still has to get on with its work. Morale can dip, productivity can suffer, sickness absence can increase and people may even decide it’s time to move on.
How do you stop a small problem becoming a much bigger one?
We’ve probably all seen situations where one issue leads to another, until nobody can quite remember what the original problem was!
Workplace investigations can easily go the same way. An initial grievance might be followed by a counter-grievance, an allegation about something that happened months ago and a list of other complaints that have been building up along the way.
Before you know it, the investigator has a mountain of issues to work through, some of which may have little to do with the original concern.
Of course, new issues shouldn’t be ignored simply because they weren’t part of the original complaint. But they do need to be considered carefully, with a clear plan for how they will be addressed.
What about the office rumour mill?
Football fans rarely sit on the fence when it comes to their clubs. Everyone has an opinion, everyone knows what really happened and everyone seems to have a view on what the punishment should be!
The workplace is no different. As soon as an investigation starts, colleagues may begin discussing what they think happened, who they believe and what they think HR should do about it.
Confidentiality is important, but you can’t always stop people talking.
The real challenge is making sure that gossip doesn’t become confused with evidence. When interviewing witnesses, I want to understand what that particular person actually saw, heard or experienced. Being told that someone else said something happened is not the same as witnessing it first-hand.
That doesn’t mean second-hand information should automatically be dismissed as it may point to evidence that needs to be checked. But it does need to be treated with care.
How do you keep everyone confident in the process?
When an investigation seems to be going nowhere, or nobody knows what’s happening, it’s easy for people to assume that nothing is being done or that a decision has already been made.
Keeping people informed, explaining the process and being clear about timescales can make a real difference. So can making sure that decisions are based on the evidence rather than on who shouts the loudest.
What are the lessons for HR teams and line managers?
- Get started promptly. Acknowledge concerns, assess any immediate risks and agree realistic timescales.
- Keep things focused. Be clear about the issues being investigated and have a plan for dealing with anything new that emerges.
- Get the evidence early. Identify relevant documents, messages and witnesses before information becomes harder to find.
- Ask questions, not lead questions. Give people the opportunity to explain what they know in their own words.
- Keep an open mind. Don’t decide what happened before you’ve considered the evidence from all sides.
- Keep things moving. Review progress regularly, explain any unavoidable delays and make sure the investigation reaches a conclusion as soon as reasonably possible.
The Manchester City case might seem an unlikely source of HR inspiration, but it highlights some important lessons about handling complex investigations. The longer matters remain unresolved, the more difficult they can become, and the harder it is to ensure that everyone feels the eventual outcome is fair.
For employers, the answer is straightforward: act early, stick to the evidence and don’t let the process drift.
Forgive one final football analogy, but when it comes to workplace investigations, it’s always better to deal with the problem before it goes into extra time!
