No company, large or small, is immune from theft.
According to the US Chamber of Commerce, employee theft is costing American business $40 billion annually and is increasing by 15% per year. At one point or another every employer will experience theft in the workplace. Very few will actually investigate, because investigating theft is complex. Faced with challenging economical times, however, businesses are less able to sustain losses and maintain business as usual, making workplace investigations increasingly more important.
Today's trends indicate a shift toward more sophisticated crimes including fraud and embezzlement and other crimes that often require computer network and IT investigations and investigative interviews. Employers must be more vigilant and do everything possible to prevent, deter and investigate workplace theft. In order to know what action to take, or to find out whether action is even necessary, the employer has to investigate the incident and ascertain the facts.
At The Intelligence Group. we have investigated issues relating to theft for employers throughout North America in many different industries, involving both union and non-union environments. By better controlling the quality of people hired, and investigating the environment in which they are placed, we can help you defeat employee malfeasance before it starts.
There are many benefits to using an unbiased third party to conduct the investigation and employee interviews that can stop the theft of company assets. A well-planned and executed workplace investigation by a private investigator can be a very effective way to identify those involved with theft and prevent its recurrence.
An effective workplace investigation allows the employer and counsel a solid basis for taking corrective action and defending against claims of inaction and unfair treatment. Done accurately, investigations will either keep you out of court, or enable you to seek prosecution toward the person(s) found to be involved in the crime.
The following information indicates patterns to look for when seeking to identify workplace theft suspects.
Suspect Identification Signs:
The following information highlights areas to investigate when seeking information concerning theft. Workplace theft occurs in several different ways and locations.
Focus Areas:
Law enforcement is always involved in workplace theft investigation cases if the client wishes to have the perpetrator(s) arrested and ultimately convicted to obtain restitution.