Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/925085
W EEKLY EDITION JAN 10, 2018 Dealing With Employee Theft …continued By PSAI Executive Director Karleen Kos What to Do. Should you come out of your employee conversations with the conclusion that an employee has been stealing either assets or data, i - Sight suggests the following next steps: 1. Make sure your evidence is strong. Video is preferred, but witnesses can also w ork. Gather facts and compile documentation; audit computer files, financial records; preserve evidence, such as documents, computer files and e - mails; and maintain a chain of custody to prove the evidence wasn't tampered with. Document all steps and summa rize your interviews. The investigative report may be important in the event of any subsequent legal action. Evaluate whether to administer a lie detector test. The Federal Employee Polygraph Protection Act governs the use of polygraph exams in the workpla ce. 2. You will probably want to terminate the employee's employment immediately. Make sure the method you use to document the termination follows your company policy and check to see if there are any issues that must also be addressed such as contracts, collective bargaining agreements, union representatives that need to be notified, etc. In a union setting, an employee has the right to have a union representative or co - worker (not a lawyer) present during any interview that the employee expects could res ult in discipline. 3. Notify the police . If you have insurance covering employee theft, a police report will be needed. 4. Don't deduct anything from the employee's final paycheck. There may be state restrictions governing this. 5. Don't discuss the sit uation with other employees or outsiders. 6. If your employee chooses to leave immediately while you are terminating them, have someone else contact the police. If you fear for your safety or the safety of your workplace, hire an outside firm who can be a rmed to escort them off premises. Nobody wants to be in this situation. Good prevention and oversight can minimize your risk, and preparation for the time it happens (if it does) is important. Be sure you have a policy in place that outlines procedures to be followed. Let employees know that any dishonest acts come with serious consequences. Advise employees that if they know of another employee's dishonesty and fail to report it, they can be subject to discipline as well. You can do both of these things w ithout harming your company culture. Simply framing any sort of dishonesty as a breach of trust that harms everyone by undermining the goodwill essential to the company's success will do the trick . In the end, you get to decide what happens at your company . These tools should help you navigate one of the more unpleasant situations that sometimes occurs. PAGE 5