You always want to believe that your employees are trustworthy, but is that always the case? Employee theft is a real problem for many companies, and some might not even know it. According to the Australian Federal Police, employees and former employees are responsible for 70 percent of all business fraud. It’s also estimated that 55 percent of all missing stock is due to employee theft. This problem costs Australian businesses over $1.5 billion every year.
Most business security measures are designed to stop the thieves you don’t know, but what about the thieves you do know? Business owners can utilize access control systems to better safeguard their assets and prevent employee theft.
Restrict Access to Sensitive Areas
Your employees don’t need to have access to every area of your business. You can utilize access control systems to limit the movement of staff. By putting an entry device on the door of your stockroom, for instance, only employees that have the code or the proper keycard will be able to enter. New hires or low-level associates won’t be able to get in, limiting their opportunity to steal from you. You can allow only the employees you trust the most to enter the more sensitive areas of your business.
Track Your Employees’ Schedules
Staff members who show up early and stay late might seem like the go-getters you want on your side—and most of the time that’s true—but sometimes, there could be something more sinister afoot. You can also use an access control system to monitor your employees’ schedules.
When an employee arrives for a shift, he or she will punch in a code or swipe a card that’s unique to that person. The system will then record their arrival time and maintain a log that you can reference in the event that some inventory goes missing.
Some access control systems can be programmed to operate based on a schedule. If you know employee A is scheduled to come in at 8 a.m., you can set your entry device not to let them in before their shift starts.
Maintain Detailed Security Logs
Unfortunately, even with an access control system, you won’t be able to prevent all theft. But, in the event that something is stolen, your system will be able to help you find the person responsible quickly and easily.
In addition to keeping track of entry and exit times, an access control system can maintain detailed security logs of how your employees move throughout the day. If you have your stockroom protected by an entry device, every time an employee enters their code or swipes their card, the system will log that entry. If you know that $100 worth of goods were taken from the stockroom at 11 a.m., you can search the log to find exactly who was in there at the time of the theft. By knowing who was on the premises at the time of the theft, it’ll be easier for the authorities to find the guilty parties or at least give them leads about potential witness to the crime.
Easily Manage Employee Access
Employee permissions change over time, and former employees can pose a risk to businesses. Every time you make a staff change, your security accesses need to change as well.
Luckily, with an access control system, it’s easy to update permissions. Simply log into your system and change an employee’s user permissions. Even if you have to let someone go, you can go into the system and remove their access. Then, even if they do come back to steal from you, their old keycards and PINs won’t work. Former employees can take or copy keys, but they can’t fake access control entry credentials.
Access Control from Four Walls Security
Your security system is designed to do more than just prevent break-ins; it’s supposed to deter crime from any source, even your employees. Employee theft is a real problem for many businesses but installing an access control system can help. You’ll be able to restrict access to sensitive areas and track employee whereabouts throughout the day. If anything changes, you’ll be able to update permissions quickly and immediately deny access to former employees.
If you have any questions about access control for business, the experts at Four Walls Security are here to help. We have years of experience working with Brisbane area business owners, helping them protect their properties. Contact us for a free, no obligation quote today and be on the way to a more secure future, free of employee theft.
