By  Annie Blanco

How do you prevent employee theft? 

Employee theft can come in many different forms and not just monetary.  Theft can come when an employee steals time, supplies, company merchandise, information, and when an employee overcharges a customer and pockets the profits.

To prevent employee theft (industry experts) recommend that employers first try their best to hire honest people.  This is not always easy to do but the process begins with a good background check.  This includes checking referrals, doing a credit check, and screening for drugs.

Second, don't make it easy for employees to steal.  Make sure everyone is aware of your zero tolerance policy.  Conduct unscheduled inspections and audits.  Change employee routines and make employees hold each other accountable.  Plus, don't assume well paid employees will not steal.

If you have given keys to your staff, put in an alarm system with a motion detector that only the manager or owner has the code to.  This way you won't have to worry about employees making an extra set of keys and coming in when they should not.

And of course, surveillance cameras are a must for all existing and new businesses that want to catch a stealing employee.  To begin with, installing video cameras will work as a deterrent and will provide evidence if a theft does occur.  These devices should be prominently displayed, that way it gets the point across what belongs to the company does not belong to the employee.

Where do I place the cameras?  It is a good idea to have your cameras mounted around any area where cash and other financial resources are located.  Therefore, the security cameras can log transactions at the cash register or at the ATM.  It's also a good idea to mount cameras in remote parts of the store, on loading docks, and in the parking garage.

Are cameras intrusive and costly?  A bit of inconvenience to employees is much better than the consequences of theft.  The cost of a video surveillance system basically depends on how many cameras a company would like to install.  Generally, camera systems start at around $500. And on up to thousands of dollars.  Security camera systems are not just products to spy on employees; they offer protection for those employees and protection for a company’s assets.