Employee Theft
Although it's not a pleasant topic to discuss, the fact is that theft by employees of small businesses totals nearly $40 billion in this country each year.
As hard as it is to believe that someone you hire to fill a trusted position in your company would actually take from you, it happens every day in all kinds of businesses and in a variety of ways. And it is estimated that up to 75 percent of all employee theft goes unnoticed.
Some security experts predict that up to 30 percent of the nation's workers will steal at some time in their career. Difficult economic times, lack of salary increases and the threats of downsizing and cutbacks make it even more tempting for employees to help themselves.
Employee theft can take many forms, from stealing office supplies or merchandise, to stealing time by improperly reporting sick leave and vacation to stealing intellectual property and confidential information. When employee theft is discovered, the employer/owner feels violated and often reacts out of emotion. Remembering that this is a business problem and addressing it as such will aid in quick resolution and prevention.
If you are the victim of employee theft, the first thing you should do is hire a professional investigator to take a thorough look at your company processes. Theft usually occurs as a result of a breakdown in procedure. Do you lack a system for checks and balances? Are employees not following clearly defined procedures? Are you paying enough attention? Use the situation as a wake-up call to re-examine the way you do business.
Have a professional investigator do background checks on your employees. In a hurry to find workers, some employers will just go on a "gut" reaction or assume that because someone is a friend or relative of a current trusted employee, the same must be true of the new prospect. Sometimes that theory works; sometimes it doesn't. Check everyone out thoroughly. Nothing is foolproof, but doing some research should keep you from making an obvious mistake.
If you suspect theft and decide to investigate, do so thoroughly and factually using a professional investigator. Making an accusation toward an employee can permanently damage relationships not only with that employee but also with those with whom the individual works closely. Be sure you are on solid ground before you make your suspicions known or state any accusations.
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