Employees Who Steal
Everybody has seen it in the news: employees stealing from the place of employment. People consider it newsworthy when staff members make off with millions of dollars, but employee theft makes a huge impact on the company bottom line no matter how insignificant it may seem to the average Joe. Every little thing that is stolen from the workplace adds up to a large deficit for the employer.
Not all employees steal, but those who do negatively impact the workplace for everyone. Employee theft can dramatically reduce the morale of the employees who don't steal. The honest employees may feel troubled by the fact that they are working with dishonest employees. They may also a certain amount of anxiety about their job security. These employees are likely very aware of the fact that workplace theft endangers all of their jobs. These employees may also feel torn about reporting their dishonest colleagues. They feel that they should turn in their thieves, but they don't want to sour employee relations.
Studies show that most people steal from their employers because they feel they are stealing from a faceless entity that can afford to lose a little. When interviewed, most employees in these studies said that they would not be willing to steal if they felt the cost of their theft would be directly passed on to their supervisor or somebody else they could put a name and a face to. Ethics programs that educate employees about the effects of stealing have been shown to prevent a portion of workplace theft. These programs can help to discourage some theft, but they cannot put a stop to all workplace theft. Taking steps to build a workplace culture of honesty has also been shown to reduce stealing.
Two ways that companies can reduce the amount of theft by employees is by avoiding hiring employees who steal. Pre-employment tests can help predict dependability in job candidates and can help identify those candidates who are more unreliable and more likely to steal. Additionally, employers can help screen out potential thieves by performing background checks on applicants. Background checks will not reveal all people with a history of theft, but they can identify those applicants who have been previously convicted of theft.
Once the employees have been hired, employers can effectively reduce theft by reducing the number of opportunities that employees have to steal. Simply put, employers can make sure that they are vigilant and take appropriate precautions to prevent theft. Removing temptation will keep the least determined of thieves from stealing.
Companies can also reduce theft by making sure that the workplace environment is a positive one. Studies show that employees who feel victimized by their employers are much more likely to steal than employees who are happy in their jobs. Unhappy employees may feel that the only way that they can get back at their employers is by taking things here and there. They may also feel less fear of losing their jobs. After all, who wants to help make their bully a success?
