Promoting a Theft Free Culture at Work

"With "good behavior", van der sloot might only serve 1/2 of his 28 year sentence and with Peruvian jail overcrowding..." — @ClintVanZandt

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On 10.25.09—By Dr. Clint Van Zandt

Creating a work place that addresses, discusses and actively engages the employees is a great way to stop internal theft

Include questions on personal integrity in the pre-employment screening process to let prospective employees know that integrity is an important issue to your company.
Start employees on the right foot by welcoming them to the company, giving them written rules of conduct and describing the risks and consequences involved in dishonesty so that they may make the right decision for themselves, should they ever find themselves in a compromising position.
Don’t treat employees like crooks, so they feel mistrusted and unappreciated.
Give employees a reason to value their job based on what they do and how they are treated.
Encourage Loss Prevention to watch employees less and work with employees more.
Remind employees that it is better to try and prevent a theft than try and catch people.
Train employees how to say “NO” when friends or relatives ask for extra merchandise, a lower price or an employee discount. Each employee should be instructed in advance about what to say when put in such a compromising situation.
Explain to employees why employee theft in a store causes a problem for co-workers (e.g., managers begin to distrust everyone, innocent co-workers may be implicated, tighter internal controls are installed, the manager may lose his job, all employees may be replaced).
Make it easier for employees to come forward to report their suspicions or concerns:

Tell employees what to report and when to report it
Tell employees exactly how the information they provide will be used
Give employees alternative ways to report their suspicions (i.e., by telephone, in writing or in person)
Reassure employees that they are doing the right thing