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.  Moreover, it's alarming to know that employee theft is responsible for 33% of all business bankruptcies.  Therefore catching a stealing employee becomes part of the employer's job.

          Some more statistics.         In the U.S. theft costs companies each year a whopping $50 billion.  National estimates show that 75% of all employees steal from their employers at least once throughout their careers.  The same statistics show that at least half of those 75% employees steal multiple times from their employer. 

          How do you prevent employee theft?  First, employers should 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.  Whether it's a CC-TV system, bullet camera, or dome camera - get a surveillance system.  To begin with, installing video cameras will work as a deterrence 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?  Experts say a bit of inconvenience to employees is much better than the consequences of theft. The costs of a video surveillance system basically depends on how many cameras a company would like to install.  Generally, camera systems can cost from around $500. to thousands of dollars .  But monitoring devices are more cost effective in the long run.  The cameras ensure that your company will not suffer losses due to employee theft and that's well worth the time and expense.  Security camera systems are not just products to spy on employees, they offer protection for those employees and protection for a company’s assets.