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So, how do you keep employees from ripping you off?
- Thread starter Felon
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the Jester
Legend
Arnwyn said:
Quoted for truth.
Good pay makes an employee like their job, which makes 'em much less likely to do anything stupid that will cost them their job.
Random "patrols" of the facility - i.e. place of work - to check if people are smoking on the clock or loading inventory into their cars or similar activity.
Psionicist
Explorer
I sure as hell wouldn't work at your friends store if he treated me like a criminal. Is it even legal to spy on your own employees?
I like Umbran's advice, the owner probably keep records already.
I like Umbran's advice, the owner probably keep records already.
billd91
Not your screen monkey (he/him) 🇺🇦🇵🇸🏳️⚧️
Psionicist said:
If the camera's out in the open in a retail space? I'm pretty sure it's legal. Heck, even if it's secret, as long as it's not in a 'sensitive' area like the bathroom or changing area, I'm pretty sure it's legal. You have no expectations of privacy (or most other rights you have against government bodies) in your place of work.
wingsandsword
Legend
Not just legal, it's pretty much expected. (In the US at least). If you refuse to work with an employer who considers you a possible thief, you're pretty much not going to be working retail in the USA.Psionicist said:
Just about every retail establishment I know of has cameras in the store, sometimes they are labelled, sometimes not, sometimes some are and some aren't. Many places often have more cameras on the employees and registers than they do the customers, and smart employees know to expect that at any given time to act as if there is a camera on them and their boss is watching from somewhere.
As was said, as long as it's not in a place where you would have an expectation of privacy (restroom or changing area generally) you can monitor things however you want pretty much. If it would be legal to have an employee there standing watch, you can have a camera there standing watch. Some places have small disclaimer signs at the entrance to the effect of "To improve your shopping experience here at <storename> we have installed security cameras for your safety", and thus they have also officially warned you are under surveilance.
That's not to say that everything gets noticed, sometimes the cameras are just not in the right place. One time when I was working at a department store, somebody stole about $2000 in leather jackets by just cutting the cables binding them to their rack, picking them up and making for the door, and the cameras were somewhere else at the time. So if you have fixed cameras, you need to figure out what the most important thing is (also, don't put your most valuable merchandise right by an exit!)
There are even TV shows here that play mostly security camera footage of failed robberies, employees getting caught, and other "interesting" things (as well as police cruiser camera footage of chases and traffic stops).
Lots of good advice here. As someone who has experience working the crook's angle, I can say most of these practices would make me leary of indulging temptation.
Of course, one of the insider threat's biggest assets are shoplifters. Accurate bookkeeping alone won't finger a thieving employee unless you keep your products out of the reach of customers (which I don't think is any way to run a hobby store). Otherwise, the scam is simple; sell items, pocket proceeds, and when asked what happened to the missing inventory, just look clueless. Eventually, the manager has to entertain the notion that the merchandise was the result of shoplifting.
If the thief is consolatory and asks how the merchandise could have been stolen, the manager will likely wind up pointing out to the employee all the security vulnerabilities that would make theft a simple matter. Since security oversights are the fault of management, not the employee, this inevitably leads to the manager assigning a degree of culpability to himself.
Works like a charm if the thief doesn't get too greedy. Patterns eventually emerge, at which time it's best to move on.
Of course, one of the insider threat's biggest assets are shoplifters. Accurate bookkeeping alone won't finger a thieving employee unless you keep your products out of the reach of customers (which I don't think is any way to run a hobby store). Otherwise, the scam is simple; sell items, pocket proceeds, and when asked what happened to the missing inventory, just look clueless. Eventually, the manager has to entertain the notion that the merchandise was the result of shoplifting.
If the thief is consolatory and asks how the merchandise could have been stolen, the manager will likely wind up pointing out to the employee all the security vulnerabilities that would make theft a simple matter. Since security oversights are the fault of management, not the employee, this inevitably leads to the manager assigning a degree of culpability to himself.
Works like a charm if the thief doesn't get too greedy. Patterns eventually emerge, at which time it's best to move on.
Psionicist said:
LOL, man I gotta move to Canada.
"Security cameras, eh? What, you don't believe in the honour system, eh? Shame on you! Don't you know the old Canuck saying: poor locks make for welcome neighbours!"
Seriously, we're talking about someone's livelyhood here. Shopowners have a right to keep a close eye on their till, electric or otherwise.
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