A child looks at his mom’s cookies cooling on the kitchen counter and thinks, “I can take just one cookie and she’ll never notice”.

Sadly this is the same mindset shared by many employees, an estimated 75% of all employees to be exact. And as hard as it is to believe the person you hired to fill a trusted position would actually steal from you, it happens.

According to a 2007 U.S. Department of Commerce report, employee theft costs U.S. business $40 billion dollars last year, with nearly 80% of all employee theft going undetected. And with our recessionary economy, employee theft in 2008 has risen sharply in response to foreclosures and the tightening job market.

So while many employees think that swiping a few items on occasion may not amount to much, the report concluded that over 30% of the companies going out of business last year were the direct result of employee theft.

People who steal often have a close relationship with their boss. This publication can help you to identify employee theft and explains how you can protect your property and profits against losses, including:

• Management Misconceptions
• Why Employees Steal
• Dealing with an Employee Suspect
• Workplace Thief Prevention
• Security or Personal Intrusion
• Workplace Theft Warning Signs

SOURCE: U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Society of Employers