03 Feb 5 Red Flag Warning Signs of Employee Misconduct
EMPLOYEE MISCONDUCT
Are your company profits suspiciously different from what you expected? Do you keep finding company secrets are getting out and about? If so, then you may be a victim of employee misconduct.
Employee misconduct is getting harder to prove and see. Below, we give our five warning signs that you may have a case of employee misconduct that you need a private investigator for.
1. People Claiming They Already Paid
The first big warning sign of employee misconduct regarding your finances is vendors and customers claiming that they have already paid. While one or even two may be an accident and oversight on yours, or their part when they start claiming this more frequently something is amiss.
An employee may be logging a payment to a vendor but sending the balance to themselves. If customers are claiming that they already paid a bill, then you may have someone taking the money and marking it as paid.
2. An Employee Living Beyond Their Means
Once you notice an employee living beyond their means, you should start to ask yourself where that money is coming from. You have access to their wages, and know how much they earn. While they might have income from elsewhere, a sudden increase in spending, especially at a time when you suspect your profits are going missing, is a red flag.
3. Re-occurring Amounts Suddenly Change
Every month, your company will have amounts that remain (more or less) the same. These could be bills for services, employee pay, stock, or other items. However, if those amounts suddenly spike or dip, then you should investigate.
Sudden increases could be an employee in finance who has decided to up the amounts for bills and skim some of the money for themselves. Ask to see the documentation for the goods paid and compare it to the amount on your balance sheet.
In the same way, if amounts paid out dip, then the employee may have been taking the remainder for themself. This can happen in payroll, where a worker is paid less and the embezzler in charge of finances keeps the difference.
4. An Employee in Financial Distress
Everyone runs into financial troubles once in a while. However, some people find it extremely hard to get out of. If an employee falls into this category and money goes missing, you need to be very careful.
Firstly, you need to support them. The missing money may not be them at all. While doing so, you need to stick carefully to your policies, be vigilant and begin an employee investigation.
5. Changes in Employee Working Patterns
Changes in an employee’s working pattern or manner can also signify misconduct. Perhaps they begin working late, early, or when others are not around. This is usually as they are conducting business they do not want others to see.
You may find they also want to work alone. Finally, they may start attempting to access restricted areas or confidential information, either physically or digitally.
Hire a Private Investigator for Employee Misconduct Proof
To cover yourself legally, you need evidence before making any accusations of employee misconduct. Not only could you get it wrong, but you may also end up being sued yourself by the accused. Your first action should be to hire a professional private investigator. Robert Caswell Investigations have an experienced team, knowledgeable in employee investigations. Contact us today to discuss your case, and let us get to the truth starting today!