Staff dishonesty is common, with some employees even joining firms that are seen as ‘soft touches’ in order to steal, a new report has revealed.
These are the findings of a study by the University of Leicester, which claims the problems cost employers nearly £500 million a year leading to increased prices for the goods we buy.
Professor Martin Gill, of the University of Leicester spin-out company Perpetuity, said staff dishonesty still involves taking money from the till and stealing goods – although cheating on discount cards is common.
“The findings are striking: almost one-third of respondents had colluded with colleagues or friends and family in committing offences; and two-thirds of interviewees were aware of dishonesty amongst other staff.”
Gill says there are some key factors that influence their reason to steal, including retailers that leave themselves exposed especially in warehouses where security is less vigilant; those that had a grudge against their employer; employees on low wages that are driven to theft by debt and financial problems, and others that plead ignorance especially where the misuse of discount cards is involved. Some admit that they derive satisfaction from their actions.
Items in most danger are those that are expensive and portable, with thieving employees taking full advantage of CCTV blind spots and poor in-store security.
Gill advises staff training, increased levels of effective supervision of warehouse staff and overall security, better CCTV coverage, more stringent policies in relation to staff searches and improved working relationships between managers and frontline staff.
