One in 10 retail employees steals goods from the workplace
Published: 08 April, 2010
Almost one in 10 retail employees have committed a crime against their employer in the last 12 months, according to new research published by G4S Secure Solutions UK (G4S).
The most common crime was consuming produce without paying for it, with over 160,000 workers stealing food. Over 56,000 retail employees admit to outright theft from their employer in the last 12 months, removing items from a store in which they were working without paying for them.
The research also shows that over 28,000 retail employees have admitted to stealing goods when in transit to a shop, or between a storage area and the shop floor. Douglas Greenwell, sales and marketing director at G4S suggested employing security solutions across the entire workplace, including loading bays and staff areas, rather than focusing solely on customer theft.
“Retailers can employ integrated, sophisticated security solutions to prevent shrinkage throughout the supply chain. These include utilising technology such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) to account accurately for all goods from the minute they leave manufacturers’ premises to the moment they are merchandised on the shop floor, even to the extent that any damage to goods in transit can be recorded accurately."
