Business Operations, Insurance, and Workplace Safety
Domain 8: Business Operations, Insurance, and Workplace Safety
This domain tests the business side of investigations: contracts, liability, insurance, recordkeeping, and personal safety. The exam expects you to run a compliant practice, not just conduct a good investigation.
Core rules
- Contracts: use a written agreement covering scope, deliverables, fees, expenses, termination, confidentiality, and limitations. State that the client must have lawful authority for the investigation and that you will not violate law.
- Liability: errors-and-omissions or professional liability insurance, general liability, and auto coverage reduce exposure. Verify that subcontractors carry their own coverage and confidentiality obligations.
- Recordkeeping: retain case files, time records, invoices, and chain-of-custody logs under the contract and applicable retention rules. Secure physical and electronic files; use access controls and backups.
- Workplace safety: assess risk before field work. Use check-in procedures, avoid solo high-risk surveillance, keep a charged phone, and disengage from confrontations. For personal protection, use lawful means and avoid carrying prohibited weapons.
- Employment: classify workers correctly, train them on licensing and privacy rules, and document supervision.
Worked example
A client offers a large flat fee for a domestic surveillance case but refuses a written contract. You decline or insist on a signed engagement letter that limits hours, defines the lawful scope, and states the fee. Without it, scope creep, nonpayment, and liability are hard to manage.
Traps
Working without insurance. Assuming a handshake covers scope. Letting a client direct an illegal entry. Failing to train staff on Michigan licensing rules.