Construction Site Theft: Employees Don’t Want You To Read This Post

According to AGC of California, 85 percent of job site thefts are employee related.  That’s a big number.

To help you protect your job site from employee thefts, follow the tips below.

1.     Alert Authorities of Thefts – One of the biggest mistakes that you can make is not alerting the authorities of a theft.  It’s important to set a tone on your job site. Employees need to know that theft won’t be tolerated.  Those caught should be prosecuted.

2.     Institute an Equipment Library System – For valuable handheld equipment that can be stolen, have a library system.  With a library system, you have a complete record of who is responsible for the equipment on your job site.

3.     Keep an Eye on Suspicious Behavior – Be on the lookout for suspicious activity on your job site.  Often times, you’ll notice suspicious or secretive behavior going on.  This is a good indicator that employees may be stealing from the site.

4.     Do Random Inventory Checks – If you suspect employee theft, do a surprise inventory check on building materials, tools and other items.  Doing random inventory checks also helps to prevent thefts from happening.

5.     Process Time Cards – Often times, employees may try to cheat you on the number of hours that they worked.  Make sure employees turn in their time cards on time.  When you let them sit on the time cards, it gets easier to fudge the numbers.

6.     Track Cash Flow – If employees have work-related expenses or use the petty cash, make sure that they provide receipts to document all cash flow.  This will help to protect against any misuse of project funds.

7.     Mark Equipment – For valuable equipment consider, etching an identifying mark on all of your tools and other items.  This will make it easier to track equipment and less attractive for employees to steal.

8.     Lock Job Site Trailers – It’s becoming more common for employees to steal office equipment from jobsite trailers.  Make sure the doors and windows are locked after business hours and all computers and other office equipment is locked away.

9.     Perform Background Checks — AllBusiness suggests running background checks on all employees.  This will help to make sure that you have the right people working on your job site.

Following these tips will help to better protect your job site from employee theft.

At Hue & Cry Security Systems, we are the low voltage contractor of choice because of our experience and know how.  Contractors turn to us for all of their fire and security needs on a job site.

To learn how we can help you, visit our contractor services page or give us a call at 800-762-3196.