Loss Prevention Strategies - Internal Theft Awareness for Managers - Office 🌎
Languages: English, French, Spanish (North America)
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Internal theft in office spaces can have a serious effect on the workers and the business. From cash theft to serious forms of embezzlement, all types of theft must be considered, and preventative measures should be taken. In this subject, we'll discuss the motivation employees feel to steal, how to talk to employees about internal theft, and what to do if you are suspicious. These all include strategies for non-combative, empathetic ways to deal with internal theft in the office.
Languages: English, French, Spanish (North America)
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Internal theft in office spaces can have a serious effect on the workers and the business. From cash theft to serious forms of embezzlement, all types of theft must be considered, and preventative measures should be taken. In this subject, we'll discuss the motivation employees feel to steal, how to talk to employees about internal theft, and what to do if you are suspicious. These all include strategies for non-combative, empathetic ways to deal with internal theft in the office.
Languages: English, French, Spanish (North America)
Media Editing: The video module(s) in this subject are editable under our Content Studio offering unless otherwise indicated. For more information about Content Studio, contact your CSM.
Description: Internal theft in office spaces can have a serious effect on the workers and the business. From cash theft to serious forms of embezzlement, all types of theft must be considered, and preventative measures should be taken. In this subject, we'll discuss the motivation employees feel to steal, how to talk to employees about internal theft, and what to do if you are suspicious. These all include strategies for non-combative, empathetic ways to deal with internal theft in the office.
Topics
What Motivates Office Employees to Steal?
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It’s important to understand why employees might feel the need to steal from your workplace. As their leader, once you understand their motivations and what internal theft might look like in your company, you can take the necessary measures to prevent it. Motivations can vary in each instance, but it’s important to always build trust and establish rapport and relationships with employees.
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Video module
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Translated content is typically AI-generated, and in some instances, it's been human-reviewed. Review the list below for translation details within this topic.
English
French
Video = AI-translated
Spanish
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Employees might steal because they see something at work that they need to support their family or lifestyle.
If an employee feels like you, or the company, promised them something and it’s not being delivered, they could steal because they feel angry, outraged, or frustrated with you.
Employees might steal because they enjoy the thrilling feeling of committing theft and the potential of getting caught.
Employees might steal because of social pressure from their peers who are also stealing, or to impress their friends with new and interesting products.
Employees steal because they feel as though their company won’t notice or care about smaller items that are missing from petty theft.
Employees steal because their manager or company treats them rudely and unfairly, and they want to take a small revenge on them.
Employees can steal because of bad habits. If they forget to claim something or take something home accidentally once, they could continue to do so until it becomes routine.
Employees might not know that what they’re doing is considered stealing as it doesn’t seem like that big of a problem. This could be in relation to time theft, or taking something that was going to be thrown out.
Strategies for Preventing Internal Office Theft
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Talking about internal theft with your employees can be a difficult conversation. You don’t want to encourage internal theft or admit that it happens. However, it’s important to make sure you have procedures and guidelines in place, and then communicate your expectations to your employees. They will play a major part in keeping the workplace safe. In this topic, we’ll talk about how to clearly communicate with your employees and keep the conversation of loss prevention ethical and open.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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Translated content is typically AI-generated, and in some instances, it's been human-reviewed. Review the list below for translation details within this topic.
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Explain the consequences of internal theft and its impact on the company to employees and their peers. If employees realize the consequences for them personally and the entire team, they might be less willing to steal.
Implement regular loss prevention strategies and share them with your employees. This will help deter anyone who might be thinking of stealing and can give peace of mind to those who are worried about theft.
Make sure your employees know who to contact if they are suspicious of internal theft according to your company’s policy, and that you’re available if they need to talk. If there is open communication in the workplace, employees will feel more comfortable speaking out.
Regularly interact with your staff and get to know their habits. If you gain a personal relationship with them, you can understand when something feels different and then can talk to them.
Make yourself visible by frequently walking around the office and by employees' desks and shared spaces to help deter any bad behavior.
Emphasize that you want to prevent employee theft for the best interest of the entire staff, so that no one feels singled out or that you are suspicious.
Regularly provide resources and training to your employees to make sure they are aware of what to do if they see theft being committed.
Lead by example by consistently enforcing the rules to make sure they remain clear and don’t come into question.
Educate employees about what counts as theft in your company so there’s no confusion or surprise if there are consequences to their actions.
What to do if you Suspect an Employee is Stealing from your Office
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Internal theft happens in office spaces, and it isn’t always your fault. Instead of immediately accusing the employee and creating an untrusting environment, it’s important to collect evidence and assess the situation first. In this topic, we’ll discuss what to do if you suspect or are certain an employee is stealing. This involves watching for warning signs, using non-accusatory language, and communicating with the rest of your team.
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Questions (level 1, 2, 3)
Video module
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Translated content is typically AI-generated, and in some instances, it's been human-reviewed. Review the list below for translation details within this topic.
English
French
Questions = AI-translated
Video = AI-translated
Spanish
Questions = AI-translated
Video = AI-translated
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Be aware of warning signs of theft to build evidence and confirm your suspicions. These include employees refusing to give job tasks to others, unusual working hours, poor performance and defensiveness, in addition to more obvious signs, like discrepancies in expenses, misuse of company equipment, or missing office supplies.
Assess the seriousness and impact of the theft according to your company’s policy and guidelines so you know what the appropriate next steps are.
Follow your company’s policy on internal theft based on the seriousness of the offense; depending on the seriousness of the offense, severe disciplinary action may need to be taken.
Gather evidence of times that you suspected the employee was stealing. This helps to prove your case so that it is indisputable when you’re ready to address it.
Talk to the employee in a non-confrontational manner and use words that don’t accuse them of theft or being a bad person. This will help to avoid escalating the situation.
Handle the entire accusation privately and discreetly and contact only the necessary people to resolve it. This is to keep the process simple and avoid difficult legal processes.
Do not detain or restrain an employee, even if you strongly suspect them of stealing. Contact authorities and alert the proper people if you feel unsafe.
If a major internal theft incident occurs, communicate with the entire team about it, while adhering to store policy, so they understand what happened.
