On average, three out of ten business failures are attributed to internal theft. It's bad enough when an intruder breaks into your plant at night or a robber holds up your store. But when your own staff steals from you, you must deal with both the loss and the betrayal of trust.
Internal theft is a potential problem in any business.
We're not talking about an employee taking a roll of cellotape from the office supplies, but about the methodical theft of merchandise and money - sometimes thousands of dollars worth, which continues until the employee is caught. The vast majority of employees, like most of society, are honest. But even the most trusting business owner or manager can't ignore the possibility of internal theft. The motivating factors for employee theft are opportunity, rationalization, greed or need. The removal of any of these factors, particularly opportunity, will reduce losses.