While all employers want to believe their employees are all honest and would never do anything to harm the company, this isn’t always the case. In fact, an estimated 75% of employees have admitted to stealing from their employer. From inventory shrink to company-destroying financial crimes, employees can often cause the most damage to a company. Fortunately, there are a few ways employers can reduce the risk of employee theft within their company.
One easy way to do this is to install a reliable security system. Having surveillance cameras in an office can actually reduce theft and losses up to 80% while promoting increased productivity among employees. For those employers considering implementing a security camera system on their premises, this article is going to look at a few ways security cameras can help reduce employee theft.
First, it’s important to understand why employees resort to theft in the first place. Unfortunately, there’s no one reason why employees steal from their employers. However, some common reasons employers steal from their place of employment may include:
- Lack of money
- They see an opportunity
- Going through life changes
- Addiction
- Retribution
- Greed
So while not all employees are going to attempt to steal, it can happen to any company. So how can a digital camera security system help reduce the risk of theft in the workplace?
For starters, having a security system in place will deter employees from stealing in the first place. If employees see security cameras around important areas of the office, they’ll know they are being watched. This automatically makes them realize that getting away with theft will be more difficult. In knowing this, employees will be less likely to attempt to steal. However, it’s important that security cameras are installed in the right locations. Places like warehouses, loading docks, break rooms, wherever cash is handled, and parking lots should all have security cameras in place.
And if the wireless security camera system doesn’t make employees think twice about stealing, it will at least help catch them in the act. If an employee tries to get away with theft, their actions will be caught on camera. With real-time surveillance, most thieves can be caught before they even leave the building.
Considering that in 28.7% of cases, employee theft from a single culprit can span over five years, the sooner it’s caught, the better. Fortunately, catching the theft on camera will provide employers with evidence of the act. This can be beneficial for official records, to show police, or if an employer decides to press charges. Furthermore, having the theft on camera will help identify the thief if they do get away.
With the many benefits of a wireless security system, all employers should have them in place throughout the office. Whether it’s to deter employee theft in the first place or to catch them in the act, a security camera system can reduce the risk of theft and make the office a safer place to work.