It’s not nice to think that your employees may be stealing from you, especially when you’re paying them a decent salary to work for you. Sadly this kind of internal theft is commonplace and according to Australian Federal Police, in excess of 70% of fraud losses in business either stems from ex-employees, or even those currently working for you.
Employee theft in retail also accounts for around 55% of stock loss. Although you probably carry out security checks on people that you hire, often it’s unforseen circumstances or desperation that causes otherwise trustworthy employees to steal. That said, it makes sense to pay closer attention to your internal security. We’ve put together a few tips to help you.
Update passwords regularly
Although it seems a real hassle to keep changing passwords, in these days of ever increasing cyber crime, it’s a necessity. Computer passwords and alarm codes should be changed every quarter and limit access to them to your most trustworthy staff.
Prohibit access for ex employees
It’s inevitable that most businesses have a substantial turnover of staff and this being the case, it’s important to ensure that ex employees no longer have access to your business premises or computers, no matter how much you trust them. Your business could be put in jeopardy if, for instance, they can still access emails account or local intranet. Don’t forget entry cards or access codes either. Make sure you have a system in place whereby when an employee leaves, access is prohibited to them.
Good security measures
It’s a good idea to carry out regular bag and locker searches – that way employees may think twice before attempting to steal from you. Make sure your checks are frequent and random – there’s no point in picking on the same individuals at the same time and day of the week. A decent CCTV system is worth its weight in gold too, but make sure it’s as good a quality as you can afford. CCTV’s act as a deterrent for anyone looking to get up to mischief and in the event they do take a chance, you’ll have video footage to help bring them to justice.
Create trust
Trust has to be earned, and if your employees and customers feel they can trust you, then research has shown that they’re far less likely to steal from you. So try to be upfront about matters pertaining to the business that affects them, and if you promise a person a promotion or a pay rise then don’t back down at the last minute. This doesn’t mean giving them instant access to documents of a sensitive nature or letting them handle wads of cash, but by being as transparent and honest as you can, they’re more inclined to stay loyal to you.
Besides supplying security personnel, we can also carry out security audits and advise on ways you can beef up your security. We can also install security systems such as CCTV cameras. For peace of mind, why not give MA Security Guards a call on 1300 020 406 and see how best we can help you.
