For HR Business Partners (HRBPs), closing an employee relations (ER) case is a pivotal moment to reinforce organizational values and build trust. The way you close a case can either strengthen or undermine your company’s culture. Beyond resolving the immediate issue, your approach should demonstrate fairness, transparency, and a commitment to continuous improvement. One practicable technique is to always conduct a closure meeting with the involved employee(s), where you summarize the process, clarify protections, and invite feedback. This not only provides closure but also signals that the organization values integrity and learning.

HRBPs are often under pressure to deliver quick resolutions, but your credibility is built on the integrity of your process. You may want to use a standardized closure checklist to ensure every step is documented and communicated. This checklist can look something like this :

In your closure meeting, walk the employee through this checklist, using clear, neutral language. For example: “We interviewed all relevant parties, reviewed available documentation, and applied our company policy to the facts presented.” This approach reassures employees that their concerns were handled with care and consistency, regardless of the outcome.

A critical responsibility for HRBPs is to protect employees from retaliation and use case closures as opportunities for organizational learning. Practicable technique: Always end closure meetings by explicitly stating anti-retaliation protections and linking outcomes to company policy. Then, identify any patterns and recommend next steps for improvement, such as targeted training or policy updates.

Here’s how this looks in practice:

• Jake: Thanks for meeting with me, Victoria. I wanted to walk you through how we reached our decision and what comes next. We spoke with everyone involved, reviewed all the documentation, and made sure our process followed the Respectful Workplace Policy. Our goal was to be thorough and fair at every stage.
• Victoria: That’s good to hear. I’m a little worried about how this might affect me moving forward.
• Jake: I want to be clear—retaliation of any kind is strictly against our policy. If you notice any negative treatment as a result of raising this concern, please let me know right away. We take it very seriously.
• Victoria: Thank you. Is there anything else happening because of this?
• Jake: Yes, actually. We noticed a pattern in recent cases, so we’ll be rolling out a refresher on respectful communication for the whole team next quarter. This helps us improve our culture and prevent similar issues in the future.

By consistently applying these techniques—using a closure checklist, explicitly communicating anti-retaliation, and recommending systemic improvements—HRBPs can close cases with integrity and contribute to a culture of trust and accountability. In the upcoming role-play exercises, you'll have the opportunity to put these skills into action.