Investigating a Possible Theft

 

Should at any time you feel that a member of staff has caused an act of theft, unless caught red-handed, it is only fair to conduct an investigation before accusing them of being guilty.

 

Firstly, if the case has been reported by somebody else, are they a reliable source and is there any conflict between them: they could be trying to get the person into trouble intentionally. Are there any reasons that may have provoked the employee to steal: it does not give an excuse to overlook the act, but it can be used to reduce acts of theft in the future.

 

Do you have any evidence that this person has conducted an act of theft? If not, it will be difficult to accuse if there is no hard evidence such as a witness or security camera footage.

At all times, you should not accuse the suspect until proven guilty. Ask them if they are aware of the location of the missing goods or if they have any knowledge that could help recover them. Sometimes it will be hard to tell if the employee is covering the truth, but quite often, they will buckle under the pressure and by recognizing their body language, they can give themselves away.

If you have a good case that they may be guilty, but have insufficient evidence, you could suspend the employee until your investigation has been completed or the real culprit has been identified. If they are proven guilty after investigation or at the time, then the necessary disciplinary action should be taken.

Summary

It will be sad to learn that a member of staff has caused an act of theft in your business but each year, businesses have to compensate for such offences. Staff theft can cover a wide range of actions and it is important that they are aware of what these are: your staff could be stealing right now completely oblivious to the fact.

There are many reasons that lead to staff theft and so it is down to your good management to eliminate these causes through the integration of prevention methods. At any time, you should not turn the environment into an atmosphere of suspicion and observation as it will affect the way your staff perform, liaise and generally see you as a respectable manager.

If a member of staff has become a suspect of theft, it is important that you give them a fair trial before accusing them guilty. At the same time, you should try to minimize the chance of depleting your personal relations with them, as they are not guilty until proven. On finding the suspect guilty, you should use disciplinary action that brings justice to the case and further, will act as a warning to other staff.

Further Information: Legislation

The following links will take you away from the BizHelp24 web site and open up in a new window.

• Theft Act 1968 (Updated 1996)

• Employment Rights Act 1996

• Computer Misuse Act 1990

• Monitoring Employees at Work

• Employee Appraisal

• Body Language

• Employing Staff and Interviews

Article Index

1. Avoiding Staff Theft

2. Preventing Staff Theft

3. Investigating Staff Theft