Rise in Workplace Theft

The current economic downturn has led to an upturn in workplace theft—especially in large organizations—according to a recent Institute for Corporate Productivity (i4cp) study. The study found that 27 percent of respondents in large companies—those with 10,000 or more employees—say crime in the workplace has risen during the current economic crisis, while 15 percent of all respondents, regardless of company size, reported the same. From an internal perspective, of those companies that feel today’s economic situation has led to an increase in theft, almost a quarter (24 percent) of all respondents, and 31 percent of companies with 10,000 or more workers, say they’ve noticed an increase in the theft of company-owned items such as office supplies, products they produce, electronic equipment, and food items since the economic downturn.