The supreme penalty. Termination. Prosecution, if it doesn't cost you too much more than you caught him stealing (by the time you catch a thief, there's usually more than you know about or can know about with any certainty, anyway). Block the unemployment compensation if you can. Permanent ineligibility for rehire. Be completely candid about what happened on any future reference checks. Sue to recover what he stole. And if you're in an Islamic country that provides such a penalty at law, have his right hand cut off at the wrist. The Mob has a solution that's by golly 100% effective, but it has its drawbacks: in a more civilized society, there has to be limits. (And besides, it's risky. And if you go to them for a favor like that, they'll over time want more in return than it'd be worth.) Stick it to him, sideways; give it a few turns, and make it hurt for a long, long time. And anyone who knew about it and didn't report it is just as guilty as the perpetrator: do it to them, too.
If it becomes known to your other employees that someone got away with stealing - or even if others on your staff feels that the penalty was light enough to raise questions about just how seriously you take such a thing, or to make the risk of getting caught worth taking because the downside seems 'minimal' - you'll sooner or later have more problems. You need to make an example of any individual you catch stealing.
If it's just a pen or a paper clip, don't be stupid about it, although don't let it slide without saying anything at all. (It should be taken into account that sometimes the line between "things that are there for people to use freely", and "things that are not there for people to just help themselves to" gets a little more blurry than it should be, and boundary clarification is necessary and in such a case, should be sufficient). But to answer the other part of your question, yes, stealing is stealing.
Businesses and workplaces cannot run without an atmosphere of trust. That trust is a precious asset, worth more than any employee should be capable of stealing if you have appropriate controls in place and adequate supervision. That's why I'm an advocate of little to no tolerance for those who damage that atmosphere of trust, and dealing with traitorous conduct very harshly, when it occurs. If someone craps on that trust, you really have no choice - you have to go after them hard, and hit them with as large a load of bricks as you can have delivered.
Originally appeared on Quora
If it becomes known to your other employees that someone got away with stealing - or even if others on your staff feels that the penalty was light enough to raise questions about just how seriously you take such a thing, or to make the risk of getting caught worth taking because the downside seems 'minimal' - you'll sooner or later have more problems. You need to make an example of any individual you catch stealing.
If it's just a pen or a paper clip, don't be stupid about it, although don't let it slide without saying anything at all. (It should be taken into account that sometimes the line between "things that are there for people to use freely", and "things that are not there for people to just help themselves to" gets a little more blurry than it should be, and boundary clarification is necessary and in such a case, should be sufficient). But to answer the other part of your question, yes, stealing is stealing.
Businesses and workplaces cannot run without an atmosphere of trust. That trust is a precious asset, worth more than any employee should be capable of stealing if you have appropriate controls in place and adequate supervision. That's why I'm an advocate of little to no tolerance for those who damage that atmosphere of trust, and dealing with traitorous conduct very harshly, when it occurs. If someone craps on that trust, you really have no choice - you have to go after them hard, and hit them with as large a load of bricks as you can have delivered.
Originally appeared on Quora
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