It's a
Steal!
Few things send a shiver through your company like theft. The
moment an employee's purse is stolen, the staff starts talking
and productivity slows. But you should worry less about the
short-term loss of work than the long-term impact if you fail to
address the problem.
"You create an environment where employees feel
violated," says Carl Pergola, national director of fraud
investigation services at BDO Seidman in New York City. "They
often resent the organization for not having dealt with the
problem."
That applies as much for loss of personal items as for theft
from the company. A lockable filing cabinet is a simple solution
for letting people secure personal items. More important, inculcate
a culture that won't tolerate theft or fraud.
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Weed out career criminals by doing background checks on
employees who will have financial responsibilities. Also, divide
responsibilities to introduce checks and balances: Make sure the
person who issues purchase orders is different from the one
handling receiving.
Give your employees an outlet for reporting suspicious activity.
Ultimately, they're the ones who pay for theft with lower
paychecks and broken trust.
Sick of Sick
Days?
A recent study by human resources information provider CCH Inc.
indicates employees aren't as ill as they let on. Only
one-third of the time they call in sick are they ailing. Family
issues and personal needs take up a lot of sick days.
Taking an elderly parent to the doctor or closing on a house are
still valid reasons to take time off. The problem is, traditional
sick leave programs force employees to call in at the last minute,
costing you direct expenses for other employees' overtime or
temporary replacements, says Lori Rosen, a CCH workplace
analyst.
You can mitigate these costs, however, by scheduling the
unscheduled. Some firms have paid-leave banks-an accounting method
that includes vacation, sick and personal days in one pool. Rather
than feign illness for a whole day to take care of a two-hour task,
employees can take time off in increments.
"If there's a flexible enough plan to allow the time
employees need, that time can be made up or worked around,"
says Rosen.
By encouraging scheduled absences, you're able to assign
tasks to other individuals. Employees can also pass along
information their colleagues need to maintain
productivity--something they wouldn't do when calling in the
next day.
Business writer Chris Sandlund works out of
Cold Spring, New York.