Employee Theft
When an employer hires an employee they try and think about all the positive things the person they are hiring, they trust their instincts and the employee. More than likely the employer is not going to think about if the person they hired is going to be stealing money from them. Unfortunately this does happen and employers are faced with this grim reality and once they are a victim they are constantly asking themselves these questions when they hire a new employee. This essay is going to outline the effects that employee theft has on the community and about the victim(s) it creates.
Many people in a small community such as ours, may blame rising costs and store closures on the tough economic times. Yes, this is true but many people do not think of other factors. Employee theft, shoplifting and stealing have a tremendous effect on the rising cost of goods and closures of stores. When a store sells something the profit on many things is minimal. With shoppers going to big commercial chains to shop where things are cheaper many stores struggle to keep afloat, times are tough money is tight and everything is cheaper at Wal-Mart. When ever someone shoplifts or employee steals money this has a greater impact on the store than many people would think. The store looses money on every product that is stolen, so weather it is a chocolate bar that is stolen every day or an employee pocketing money out of the till by refunding products this starts a big chain of bad things. Since the store pays more for a product than what they would make back by selling it they are already loosing money. Every bit of money that a store looses puts the store in jeopardy of closing and bankruptcy. If the store closes or goes bankrupt this not only leaves its shoppers to be forced to shop somewhere else but it leaves a big heartache for the owner and employees. The owner would have to pay back and money owed to the suppliers and staff, they would still have to pay the taxes on the building until they can get it sold. If the Store is already bankrupt this leaves the owner in financial distress to be responsible for paying it all back. The Staff would be forced to look for jobs elsewhere which is very hard and can be stressful. Staff may have a family they need to support and without a job there is no money to do so.
Employee theft not only effects the broad community around you but it effects your community of friends and family also. Your family is greatly affected because they are part of your life and are with you all the way. They loose trust in you and are greatly disappointed. Family may want answers, and it is hard to talk about this crime because it is extremely humiliating but the more you talk the more you heal. Friends are affected too because you are someone close to them and they probably never had a clue as to what was going on. So the news to them could be a big shocker but hopefully they understand and help you in the healing process also.
Employee theft the unthinkable crime is a reality and needs to be stopped. In some ways it is an addiction and people do not think of the consequences of their actions. The little bit of thrill gained from this crime is nothing compared to what you have to pay for in the long run. The friendship’s trust and reputation gained are all broken, and for what? Some extra cash… well no amount of money can buy trust, friendships and your reputation back. Employee theft is a selfish act and yes you are hurting others around you and you may not realize it but you are hurting yourself when you do this and if you don’t stop the temptation when it strikes, it will follow you wherever you go.