A study conducted in 2012 found that Seventy-five percent of employees have stolen from their employers at least once, and over thirty-seven percent have committed the crime at least twice. The resulting loss for these businesses in 2012 was a staggering $50,000,000 in employee theft alone. Not to mention general shrinkage and waste, the numbers are mind boggling. But what does that mean for U.S. business owners? The financial impact of such a loss results in increased cost, lower profit margins and in some cases closing the doors to a life-long dream. Thirty-three percent of the commercial bankruptcies filed in 2012 were the direct result of employee theft. [1]
So how do you proactively combat this problem before you reach the breaking point? There are a number of approaches in which you can decrease your likelihood of employee theft, but seeing as I know nothing about HR, I’ll stick with what I do know – physical security. This changes the question to – “How can you increase the physical security of the facility to deter employee theft?”
The answer, my friend, is much easier than many assume. Most cases of employee theft happen after hours – employees know the inner workings of the facility including when the security is most vulnerable. A large number of these thefts occur by breaking into the rear door after hours, or simply walking out the rear door at the end of their shift. By implementing a rear door security plan, it is easy to monitor traffic, and prevent unauthorized exit.
Establishing a Rear Door Security Plan
In order to implement an effective rear door security plan, you should start with the exit alarm. There are various types available, among which include wall or door mounted pilfer guards, exit devices with alarms built into the panic bar, and delayed egress hardware.
Combing through the products that are available and making a decision can be overwhelming. If you’re considering a complete overhaul of a current system or you’re interested in becoming more proactive in your defensive strategy against employee theft, this should be the perfect starting point to gauge the options available to you.
Rear Door Exit Devices
If you have any questions or need help determining the best fit for your facilities’ needs, we’d be happy to walk you through the various products available and features of each. Are you currently using any of these devices? What has been your experience?
[1] Association of Certified Fraud Examiners. Employee Theft Statistics via StatisticsBrain, visit their website to view the full report.
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