Security
30 Nov 2009

de Poel advises businesses on how to reduce employee theft

The number one purchaser of temporary labour in the UK, de Poel, has issued advice on how retailers can avoid employee theft in the run up to Christmas. The cost-saving consultancy, whose clients include Sainsbury's and the Co-op, say the solution is not necessarily expensive CCTV or security guards, but effective management of agency suppliers and increased support for temporary workers. As well as urging retailers to keep close tabs on the agencies they work with, de Poel suggest optimising the rates paid to workers and ensuring they receive proper inductions irrespective of transient employment arrangements.

Matthew Sanders, Chief Executive of de Poel, said: "The solution to this problem is not necessarily expensive CCTV, numerous security staff or high-tech electronic tagging devices. What companies need to do is effectively manage their agency suppliers to ensure that quality staff are provided, and keep close tabs on agencies to ensure they carry out all the necessary checks on workers."

He added: "They also need to make sure workers are paid the optimum amount for the job they're doing and that they receive proper company inductions. As one of the largest unregulated industries in the UK, agencies can get away with paying the candidate less and taking more for themselves, which means temps are sometimes undercut where pay rates and margins aren't transparent to the employer. Inductions can often be forgotten about where workers are only in a position for a matter of weeks."

The concern from the company follows a report by the Centre for Retail Research which not only suggests that employee theft is increasing in the retail sector, but that workers are the most prolific of shoplifters in the UK. The shocking figures, which suggested that employee theft accounted for a loss of almost £1,600 per incident compared with £80 for thieves from outside the business, was put down to people trying to maintain a high-standard of living during the recession.

As Christmas draws closer and the public become ever more cash-strapped, de Poel is worried about how the pressures of the festive season could intensify the situation. "The survey commissioned by Checkpoint Systems highlighted the impact of employee theft generally and particularly in the current economic climate, but it failed to mention the effects of temporary agency recruitment in the run up to Christmas," said Mr Sanders. "Christmas time puts a lot of pressure on people to keep up with the Jones' in terms of gifts for children and friends, and it is during December that people's finances become the most stretched, increasing the risk of employee theft generally." According to the recent study on shoplifting, the UK was the second worst for employee theft in all of Europe, 36.4% of total theft being attributed to staff.

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