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I worked as a state security guard while I was going to school. It was a good gig because I could get all my homework done while working, and state law said my
by hellbannedguy 5y ago
I worked as a state security guard while I was going to school.
It was a good gig because I could get all my homework done while working, and state law said my pay needed to be equal to full time employees.
My boss took his job very serious. He got the state to send us to security seminars.
This was the late 80's and what suprised me the most is whom steals, or commits financial fraud.
At least back then most loss in retail was committed by management. The higher up the tree, the more they stole be it cash, or merchandise. The employees, and customers stole, but the big thefts were usually committed by long term trusted management types.
The instructor said, employees/owners usually don't question management, and they have more opportunities alone, with no one watching. He also said owners were notorious for stealing their stuff, and writing it off, or claiming it as a loss through their insurance company.
He said, this is a dirty secret, that most organizations don't want leaked. It's much easier to blame the homeless, or gangs on theft.
I imagine that has changed with the proliferation of cameras everywhere, but when I gear about large scale theft in a corporation, I automatically look at those in command of the employeees.
My local Goodwill had gone through three store managers in a row for embezzlement. This was years ago though. Goodwill never prosecutes employees because they don't want to tarnish their image.
- pavel_lishin 5y ago> Goodwill never prosecutes employees because they don't want to tarnish their image. Well there's a fun fact for any management type who's interested in a new job and some on-the-side income.
- mywittyname 5y agoSmart people are pretty quickly able to identify gaps in a process (and there are always gaps). Jaded people realize that nobody really cares what you do, good or bad; all that matters is hitting the metrics. And cynical people feel entitled because of what they've been through ("I gave my life to this company, and they don't appreciate it..."). The higher you are in management, the more you have of all of those traits. Theft and fraud are so pervasive and most managers get away with it for years. Even if they are caught, at worst, they are merely fired. The more Machiavellian-types rope in low-level employees. So while it might seem like a "gang" of 20-somethings at an electronics store made off with a shipment. The reality is, an upper-level manager provided the cover for them to do so, and knew how to leave just enough evidence that it was an inside job, but not enough for the police to bother. For example, the badge used to access the storage area might belong to a little old lady who is honest to a fault and would be readily identified by security cameras. And if anyone questions why the store greeter has such privileged access, then it was just an honest mistake.
- tonyedgecombe 5y agoWage theft is endemic as well, probably as much as all other property theft. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wage_theft
- ASinclair 5y agoI believe it. When I worked at an electronics retailer as a teen I knew a manager that would erroneously mark brand new products as "open box". Once they were marked as such the manager could change the price to anything they wanted. Then they would sell the products to friends and family for next to nothing.
- sen 5y agoIt’s a lot more common than anyone thinks at electronics retailers, nearly always by the store managers. I worked as a technical consultant to one of the bigger electronics retail chains and it wasn’t hard to notice at many of the stores.