OFFICE THEFT Theft in the workplace by employees, visitors or opportunist thieves has an obvious financial cost but it can also undermine staff morale and reflect poorly on a company’s internal culture. Persistent unchallenged pilfering smacks of slackness on the part of management and may even encourage habitual thieves to become more ambitious in what they choose to steal.


Petty office theft and pilfering of items can be drastically reduced by following many of the security measures outlined in the previous pages. The use of access entry systems, security cards and cameras can do much to prevent thieves gaining entry to office premises in the first place.


While employee theft is less easy to police, theft of items such as laptops or printer cartridges can be discouraged by bag checks or scans at points of entry and exit.


Enforcing a clear desk policy can reduce the risk of a security breach, fraud and information theft caused by documents being left unattended in company premises. Such a policy obliges staff to lock away confidential information and keep personal data secure as part of their employment contract. By introducing such a policy, the organisation is seen to be complying with data protection and taking corporate responsibility for the personal data in its care.


Implementation of the policy can be straightforward. When leaving the office, employees are required to tidy their desk of papers and place any files with personal information in them in lockable cabinets. Proprietary software and high- value office equipment should be kept secure inside tamper-proof, lockable cabinets, with alarm systems as back up.


Above all, take steps to minimise opportunity: make sure that items are traceable – ideally via a barcode-based labelling system that can be accessed instantly – and keep your inventory of equipment up to date


On a yet more serious scale is theft that may occur out of the office through the use of information obtained within it. For example, a rogue employee may abuse a purchase order system to credit himself with payments for goods or services supposedly rendered, or he or she may impersonate a colleague or member of another department to obtain goods from third parties in the company’s name.


For more information about identity theft, visit www.identity-theft.org.uk


For advice about prevention of crime in offices, visit www.cityoflondon.police.uk


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