Theft at work: what you can do about it

Theft at work

The end of the summer holidays is in sight, the employees are slowly trickling back into the workplace, but the full occupation and focus is not yet there. For some employees with the wrong intentions, this is the time to commit theft at work. In this article we would like to discuss what you can do as an employer and employee against company theft.

Corporate theft is a form of corporate fraud

Let's start with the definition of corporate fraud. Corporate fraud means cheating a company. Things are deliberately done to gain an advantage at the expense of others. In this case often (the owner of the) company.

Theft at work is one of the many ways in which corporate fraud can be committed. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think. Taking goods or money from the workplace can cause major damage to an employer.

Preventing theft at work.

In order to prevent this major damage, it is wise to start by paying attention to prevention. We are happy to give you a number of ideas:

• Know who you hire
  • A new employee has to identify himself and on the basis of that you can do some research yourself.
  • For certain positions, a VOG is required, for other positions you can decide for yourself as an employer. If a new employee submits a VOG, you know that he or she has committed no mistakes in the past.
• Draw up clear rules and make your employees aware of this
  • Clearly indicate how you deal with unexplained differences in stock, cash differences or, for example, giving away items and / or consumptions.
• Be open and honest with your employees and indicate that you actively monitor
• Retail or logistics? Use a warning register
  • Does a (future) employee have a history of theft? You can find it in the above sectors in the warning register.

Do you need further help with this? Strongwood can help you de fraud and theft risks within your company and provide you with advice to ensure that it can actually be prevented.

Still theft at work, what to do?

Get help with theft at work

As an employer, you do not want your employees to steal from you. Besides the fact that it can cause material damage, it is also no fun mentally. Especially if you do not (yet) know who the perpetrator of the theft was.

It is very annoying not to be able to trust your employees, and that is not fair to those who have not done anything. In addition, such an incident in the workplace often does not benefit the atmosphere. It is therefore important to solve this quickly.

And in that case we are here for you! Strongwood has been active in the field of corporate fraud. In addition to prevention, we can also help you with an acute problem.

In addition to solving the case by means of an investigation, we can also link you to a good lawyer. We have a large network of lawyers who can seamlessly build on our work.

What to do if you catch or suspect a colleague?

Are you not an employer, but do you catch or suspect one of your colleagues of theft at work? In that case, do not take matters into your own hands and go to your manager or a confidential adviser within the organization.

Be aware that you can't just accuse someone without having direct evidence or catching your colleague in the act. So don't put your suspicion on the big clock, but keep this private. Your manager can then take this further.