POLICIES THAT HELP STOP EMPLOYEE THEFT AND SHOPLIFTING
If you want to Stop Shoplifting and other forms of theft, it’s important that you have policies in place to give your managers a starting point. Polices are also a great legal tool that can help you remain consistent when you discipline and terminate employees for not upholding company standards and expectations. While there are several areas of policy, let’s focus on the ones that can help you to reduce losses in your store.
Exit Inspection and Bag Check
I’ve worked in several big box retailers over the years and they all had a similar policy regarding bags and their employees. If you brought a bag or something similar (including purses), you were subject to an inspection when you left the store at the end of your shift. A simple look inside was common, but it went a long way to prevent Employee Theft.
Personal Items Must be Secured in a Locker
This is another one of those “no brainers.” If you bring a bag, lunch kit, or purse to work, make sure it’s secured in a locker, and not on your sales floor. Not only can an empty bag be a source of Employee Theft, but customers can also have access to your employee’s personal effects, so a policy such as this could really benefit their personal safety as well as helping you to prevent shrink.
Receipts Must Accompany all Employee Purchases
Discouraging Employee Theft can be as simple as a policy that requires your team to always place their receipt on their purchase, while still in the store (think snacks and drinks). There can never be a question as to whether an item was purchased or not if the receipt is clearly visible on the item.
Back Door Security
You can Stop Shoplifting and dishonest employees by having a stringent back door policy. Never allow employees unsupervised access to outer doors. A policy that states a manager must be present anytime the door is open can and will discourage product from walking out the back door.
Number of Employees in the Building
In order to keep your team members safe in case of an accident, as well as to Stop Shoplifting from your employees, have a policy that specifies the minimum number of employees that must be present at all times in order to enter the store. Generally, 3 is a good number and is common at most big-box stores that I’ve worked for. Having at least three people in the store at once, especially during the morning prior to store opening and in the evenings after store closing, can discourage an easy theft by employees.
For more information about employee theft contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
If you want to Stop Shoplifting and other forms of theft, it’s important that you have policies in place to give your managers a starting point. Polices are also a great legal tool that can help you remain consistent when you discipline and terminate employees for not upholding company standards and expectations. While there are several areas of policy, let’s focus on the ones that can help you to reduce losses in your store.
Exit Inspection and Bag Check
I’ve worked in several big box retailers over the years and they all had a similar policy regarding bags and their employees. If you brought a bag or something similar (including purses), you were subject to an inspection when you left the store at the end of your shift. A simple look inside was common, but it went a long way to prevent Employee Theft.
Personal Items Must be Secured in a Locker
This is another one of those “no brainers.” If you bring a bag, lunch kit, or purse to work, make sure it’s secured in a locker, and not on your sales floor. Not only can an empty bag be a source of Employee Theft, but customers can also have access to your employee’s personal effects, so a policy such as this could really benefit their personal safety as well as helping you to prevent shrink.
Receipts Must Accompany all Employee Purchases
Discouraging Employee Theft can be as simple as a policy that requires your team to always place their receipt on their purchase, while still in the store (think snacks and drinks). There can never be a question as to whether an item was purchased or not if the receipt is clearly visible on the item.
Back Door Security
You can Stop Shoplifting and dishonest employees by having a stringent back door policy. Never allow employees unsupervised access to outer doors. A policy that states a manager must be present anytime the door is open can and will discourage product from walking out the back door.
Number of Employees in the Building
In order to keep your team members safe in case of an accident, as well as to Stop Shoplifting from your employees, have a policy that specifies the minimum number of employees that must be present at all times in order to enter the store. Generally, 3 is a good number and is common at most big-box stores that I’ve worked for. Having at least three people in the store at once, especially during the morning prior to store opening and in the evenings after store closing, can discourage an easy theft by employees.
For more information about employee theft, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
