It’s Official! Employee Theft Still a Problem

Preliminary reports from the National Retail Security Survey indicate that employee theft makes up the largest category (over 43%) of overall retail theft in the country.  The amount attributed to internal theft in the one-year period of 2010 is $16.2 Billion.

Retail theft overall was up just over 10% to $37.1 Billion.

Large retailers and small retailers have problems with employee theft.  The larger retailers generally have the luxury of an in-house team of investigators and auditors to stay on top of most situations, and to quickly detect and provide a comprehensive employee theft investigation to rectify the issue.

This is an asset most small business owners don’t have because the number of employees as the large retailers, so the episodes of internal theft occur too infrequently to justify such an expense.

That doesn’t reduce the pain when employee theft hits the business, however.  As a matter of fact, the pain is worse for the smaller retailer because the thefts generally go on for a longer period without being detected, and the amount of theft is proportionately higher to the revenue.

An employee theft investigation is not something that is to be undertaken by an amateur.  Smart businesses have relied on an experienced loss prevention investigator that is available on a case-by-case basis to assist in alleviating the problem.

One of the mistakes small business owners make is the decision to undertake their own employee theft investigation.  Generally, they are too close to the employees and to the business operation to objectively analyze the problem.  Better to employ the loss prevention investigator to determine first how widespread the problem is, who is involved, gather the evidence and stop the bleeding.

Don’t contribute to the national retail theft statistics.  Stop your problem before it severely affects your profits by contacting an experienced loss prevention investigator the minute you suspect employee theft.

For more information on employee theft , employee theft investigation ,  or internal theft , contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia