Run this anti-theft checklist to secure property

Nearly 100,000 retail employees were caught stealing in 2017, according to the National Retail Federation’s annual National Retail Security Survey. That figure represents about one out of every 38 employees.

Employee theft varies in magnitude, ranging from the relatively minor act of taking pens and legal pads from the supply closet to insider trading or embezzlement. However, an average dishonest employee costs his or her employer $1,922.80.

Employers must have clearly defined anti-theft policies to combat the problem. The following guidelines can help you implement a no-theft policy at your organization:

✔ Make a list of all items with a potential risk of being stolen or manipulated, including accounts payable and receivable, inventory, confidential information, intellectual property, cash, tools, office equipment and supplies.

✔ Keep a list of individuals with access to any items likely to be taken, such as office supplies and computers.

✔ Identify the process by which the “items at-risk” are controlled. If you do not have a set procedure for tasks such as ordering and receiving office supplies, it will be difficult to determine whether missing supplies were stolen or if they were simply never shipped.

✔ Establish a security system (including guards, cameras, remote-control surveillance and magnetic entrance cards) in proportion to the value of the items being protected.