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Workplace Theft Is On the Rise (theatlantic.com)

Posted by EditorDavid on from the never-buying-pens dept.

rfengineer tipped us off to this story. The Atlantic reports: Your office is a den of thieves. Don't take my word for it: When a forensic-accounting firm surveyed workers in 2013, 52 percent admitted to stealing company property. And the thievery is getting worse. The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners reports that theft of "non-cash" property -- ranging from a single pencil in the supply closet to a pallet of them on the company loading dock -- jumped from 10.6 percent of corporate-theft losses in 2002 to 21 percent in 2018. Managers routinely order up to 20 percent more product than is necessary, just to account for sticky-fingered employees.

Some items -- scissors, notebooks, staplers -- are pilfered perennially; others vanish on a seasonal basis: The burn rate on tape spikes when holiday gifts need wrapping, and parents ransack the supply closet in August, to avoid the back-to-school rush at Target. After a new Apple gadget is released, some workers report that their company-issued iPhone is broken -- knowing that IT will furnish a replacement, no questions asked. What's behind this 9-to-5 crime wave? Mark R. Doyle, the president of the loss-prevention consultancy Jack L. Hayes International, points to a decrease in supervision, the ease of reselling purloined products online, and what he alleges is "a general decline in employee honesty."
The report advises companies that the best way to reduce fraud was with surprise audits and data monitoring.

Another interesting statistic? "Fraudsters" who'd been with their company for more than five years "stole twice as much."

16 of 328 comments (clear)

  1. An idea by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Have they tried not treating their workers like shit? Won't stop all theft, but should reduce it.

    1. Re:An idea by hey! · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There's been a shift. When I was young, people normally stayed at jobs for ten or more years; it wasn't unusual for people to get out of school, get a job, and work at the same place until retirement. Relationships lasted beyond retirement with people taking company pensions (now largely raided to prop up executive compensation).

      The thing is, that's not *agile*. Companies hire and let go workers as needed; there's no sense that there's loyalty owed either way. The people working for you are like strangers you give the keys to your house to. The median duration of employment for someone 25-34 is about three years.

      --
      Post may contain irony: discontinue use if experiencing mood swings, nausea or elevated blood pressure.
    2. Re:An idea by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 3, Insightful

      You read it here, workers who are at an employer more than 5 years steal twice as much! Gotta fire em quick.

      I worked in a place once that provided free soda to employees. For a while it worked, then we crossed a threshold of about 70 employees and stupid shit started happening. People walking out with costco containers of soda, etc. We knew who it was and we did give them grief, but some people are immune to peer pressure, and the boss doesn't fire based on hearsay. So they put in a vending machine (I don't know where it came from), and charged $.01 per soda. You could still "buy" 36 packs of soda for far less than they cost at Costco, but nobody did. The transaction process was enough, and pennies were always around as a result, so it was no big deal and we could still have nice things.

      The problem is that vending machines are designed for soda, but office supplies tax even the most flexible machine. There are software and tools that can provide a functional equivalent, but they usually cost more than the problem is worth. And thus this story isn't really that interesting: a decision was made, and the problem wasn't worth a solution.

  2. Re: USAmericanTheft Anyways! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Insightful

    Good, stay out.

  3. Re:Everyone is a spineless weasel by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

    I only worked for one company that wasn't run by a total piece of shit in my career,

    There might be something wrong with you. At very least, you can say your selection of employment places should be improved.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  4. Treat workers like crap ... by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Treat workers like crap, and you'll get treated like crap in return. A lot of US employers: (1) Don't want to give time off, even if it's written into the contract. No vacation time and discouraged sick leave are a fucking disgrace. (2) Lobby against things like public insurance, because they want workers tied to their jobs for life, (3) Treat employees like children -- drug-test and thus penalize recreational activity outside the office. (4) Fire employees before their vested to keep them from vesting. Is it any wonder that a few rolls of tape or whatever go missing? I'm surprised more employees don't steal more things, frankly.

  5. Re: Probably more to do with the worsening economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    The economy isn't "worsening" nor would that be an excuse to steal.

  6. Re:Everyone is a spineless weasel by b0s0z0ku · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Not everyone wants a gig economy McJob -- why should a secure job and reasonable working conditions be incompatible? They're not in most of the developed world, you know.

  7. Re:Probably more to do with the worsening economy by phantomfive · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I am not a company owner, but if I were I would not care one bit if employees were taking pens home. I wouldn't even call that stealing. Take them if they want. I would put a basket in the front labeled, "Free Pens." Because seriously, if pens make people happy......such a small expense for improving office morale. And why not, a free red stapler at every desk.

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  8. If you want honest employees... by VeryFluffyBunny · · Score: 1, Insightful

    ...pay them a living wage & stop stealing their labour/wages. Wage theft is in an order of magnitude a bigger problem & generates a lot of ill-will between employers & employees: https://www.datamaticsinc.com/...

    How about an agreement: We won't steal a few $s worth of stationery from you if you don't steal $1000s in wages you owe us? No? Didn't think so.

    --
    Debate is a form of harassment. Do not question my truth.
  9. Wages of Wage Stagnation by imperious_rex · · Score: 4, Insightful

    I'm not condoning employee theft, but I understand where they're coming from. With stagnant wages, it should be no surprise to anybody that more employees are committing petty larceny. But the bigger cost is "time theft" when non-smoking workers take smoke breaks too, long visits to the bathroom with a smart phone in the pocket, or the frequent extended lunch break. Employees with stagnant wages will seek just compensation one way or another.

    1. Re:Wages of Wage Stagnation by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      Compensation is the critical operative term here. Employees are already treated as thieves and sometimes punished accordingly even if they've actually done nothing yet. Even in Canada where it's flatly illegal to deduct from wages many employers in smaller businesses will try their luck, committing what amounts to extortion or outright theft for things like "client canceled their order" and other things considered EBIT.

      Loyalty is a two way street: When you spend months or years being treated like dirt, and every "error" in pay is always in the employer's favor and NOTHING happens to the employer despite complaints, there's clearly nothing wrong with returning the favor and at least benefiting from being the thief you're treated as to begin with. It's unethical NOT to take from your employer at that point.

      Not like they're even paying you half of what you're worth to them anyways. May as well raid the kitchen.

  10. Re:Probably more to do with the worsening economy by guruevi · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Actually it's the other way around. All stats show that the more you make the more you steal. It correlates also with how long you've been at the company and thus can "get away with".

    So a better economy would translate in higher theft since "the company is doing better now, they can afford some losses".

    In the end it's just part of doing business, would you fire your best for taking a pen or a $5 box of pens? Electronics similarly are both insured and replaced through leases at virtually no cost. I've never had electronics disappear through third party theft, but the insurance doesn't go down so an employee needing a replacement at the end of the useful lifespan is better for me in the end.

    --
    Custom electronics and digital signage for your business: www.evcircuits.com
  11. Re: Probably more to do with the worsening economy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    had it occurred to you that your fucking customers probably stole all your nice towels

  12. Re:Probably more to do with the worsening economy by phantomfive · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Awesome. Good for you... Except for the part where I get the feeling you're trying to justify it..

    Nah. I get paid enough I don't need to steal pens, and I'm too picky to use the company supplied pens. I bring my own too work.

    You being fine with giving away pens doesn't mean I am.

    OK, so you suck. What else do you want me to tell you about yourself?

    --
    "First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."
  13. Re:Probably more to do with the worsening economy by dgatwood · · Score: 4, Insightful

    One year we were told to send twelve dozen sharpened pencils for each student.

    Who wants to bet someone wrote down 12 (dozen) pencils, and someone dropped the parentheses?

    --

    Check out my sci-fi/humor trilogy at PatriotsBooks.