August 2006

Do you have ‘sticky fingers’ in your office?

Do your employees have “sticky fingers?” It’s possible, according to a recent CareerBuilder.com survey.

Only 10 percent of workers admit to stealing from their employers, but the survey said 38 percent of hiring managers have fired employees for office theft. The survey, titled “Office Kleptomania,” was conducted in June 2006 of more than 2,200 workers, including 1,000 hiring managers. Details of the survey did not specify the size of organizations surveyed.

What do employees help themselves to? Office supplies topped the list of hot loot, with 15 percent of hiring managers stating employees were most often caught red-handed with these items. Money came in second at 14 percent and merchandise placed third at 11 percent.

Break rooms, co-workers’ cubicles, and even the first-aid kit were also designated targets for five-finger discounts. Popular items include:

Comparing various industries, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing had the highest number of workers own up to engaging in office theft, while retail, sales, and hospitality had the lowest.

Company reprimands for office thievery varied. Although 45 percent of hiring managers said they would automatically terminate someone for stealing from the company, 48 percent said it would depend on the object and situation. Seven percent said they would not fire the culprit.

Source: CareerBuilder.com, www.careerbuilder.com