Office supplies, computer equipment, phones, co-worker’s belongings, office decor (including paintings and plants), coffee packets, tea bags and condiments, every company is impacted by stealing and larcenies from their employees.
According to a CareerBuilder study made in June, 38% of hiring managers report they have fired employees for office theft. As to the workers, 10% admit to steal from their employers. Thus, employe fraudulence and abuses represent an average of 6% of a company global annual income!
Healthcare, IT and Manufacturing had the highest amount of workers own up to engaging in office theft, while Retail, Sales and Hospitality had the lowest.
Often, these robberies are committed in break rooms or even directly in co-workers’ cubicles.
According to 15% of hiring managers, office supplies are the most desired goods. Among other top larcenies, faxing or shipping services for personal use are classic ones. But one also discovers that first aid kits and toilet paper are also often listed as popular items stolen… Far more alarming, hiring managers say they often have to deal with confidential file thefts.
How to react? 45% of hiring managers are inflexible; they declare that they would automatically terminate someone for stealing from the company. 48% say it would depend on the object and situation. And they are only 7% to say they would not fire the culprit.
Whichever the larceny, stealing surely violates employer trust. However, reprimanding must be done cautiously. Indeed, an employee fired for stealing can bring suit if he thinks that the layoff is not justified.
The first thing to do is to clarify the situation and verify the facts. The company should proceed to an internal investigation and call the police only in case of serious offense. One should not forget that prevention facilitates avoiding a lot of prejudicial situations. Establishing clear guidelines helps reduce frauds.
The survey of CareerBuilder, “Office Kleptomania,” was conducted from June 6 to June 16, 2006. The sample included more than 2,200 workers and among them, 1,000 hiring managers.
* « Dealing with Employee Theft”, 2005, Yosie Saint-Cyr-Cyr, Edited by HRinfodesk