Employee theft can be small or quite large. At worst, in can become so bad that a company’s profits suffer greatly and can push a business into insolvency. On a smaller scale it takes away money from a business that could have been used to expand the operation or reward honest, hard working employees with a raise in pay. However, an employer must be cautious when dealing with employee theft.
Be careful, your suspicions may be wrong
Often when a business owner suspects that an employee is stealing, this will be true, but it is important to keep in mind that there are other possibilities. It depends upon the nature of the business. Retailers, for example, can see a significant shrinkage in inventory from customer theft. Inventory that is not accessible to customers can still appear to be stolen due to poor inventory control. However, if one or more employees are involved in theft, we will be able to uncover it. In addition, we will be able to provide the necessary documentation to give you legal protection from lawsuits.
Always use professional investigation services
The primary goal of an investigation into employee theft is to verify that it is happening and determine who the culprit is. Without the skill and experience of a private investigator, many problems can occur. An employer attempting to solve the issue themselves may identify and terminate the wrong employee. This can result in a lawsuit for wrongful termination of employment.
Another problem is in identifying only one employee involved in stealing, when it was actually several employees. Firing one guilty person will only put a temporary hold on theft. After things quiet down, the remaining thieves will begin stealing again. We can identify everyone involved and clean house for you.
Using video surveillance
Video surveillance can produce the most definitive evidence against an employee, but this type of surveillance needs to be done by professionals. We have the background and skill to know the best way to set up a system of surveillance for your company. In addition, we are familiar with the laws relating to this type of video monitoring in the workplace. If you attempt to do this yourself, it is possible that you can violate a law, and a thief will get by with his or her crime. It is also possible to misinterpret a video and fire or attempt to have an employee prosecuted when they are innocent.
Employee background checks
Of course, it is best to do an employee background check prior to hiring someone for the job, but we often incorporate employee background checks during an investigation of workplace theft. Those who have stolen in the past are often the ones with the highest probability of stealing from a company today. It is also possible that an employee is stealing for the first time or has never been caught before. Background checks are only one element of our comprehensive investigation.
Give us a call and we can discuss the specifics of employee theft as it relates to your particular business and the circumstances that led to your suspicions of theft.
Bruce Robertson
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