Workplace fraud happens a lot more often than what you may think. It's unfortunate that your employees may be the ones stealing the most from you, as 33% of stolen retail goods are a result of employee theft. Many preventative mechanisms recommended include being thorough with criminal and reference checks when hiring and inventory counts. That's not all that you can do. Here are 3 tips recommended by locksmiths.

Be Careful Who You Give a Key To

Don't just hand out the keys to your business to whoever is working for you at the time. If possible, always go to the store in person to open and close, so you can minimize the amount of people with keys to your establishment. If you do have to give a key to an employee, give the keys to someone who has worked for you for long periods of time and have already proven their value to the business.

Keep track of who you give the keys to and ask for the keys back whenever possible. For example, if one of your employees will be opening the store in your place, don't forget to ask for the key back at the end of the day or when you do arrive.

Get Separate Locks Installed for Different Rooms

If you will be giving your employees keys to your business to open and close, make sure you install separate locks for different rooms. Only give your employees the keys to open and close the business. If possible, keep all valuables and excess stock and inventory in a separate room. Make sure to keep this room locked at all times, and to install a separate lock, so no one can access it.

For the sake of convenience, you may want to consider installing a master key with the capability to open the locks of all rooms. This way, you will only need to carry the master key around. Do not give keys to rooms containing excess inventory or computer hardware and software out. This will reduce your business' losses should any theft occur.

Rekey the Lock to Your Business Regularly

Although this may seem unnecessary, it may be a smart idea to rekey all of the locks at your business that you have given employees the keys to. Why? It's simple. You never know whether any of your employees made a copy of the key you gave them. Making a copy really only takes several minutes, and it's difficult to track whether there are any spare keys out there.

In addition, many employees who leave the business to go elsewhere may forget to give you back a copy of the key. If you have given several employees a copy, it can be difficult to keep track of who has returned their key and who hasn't. To prevent unauthorized access by past employees or anyone who has gotten their hands on one of these copies, rekey the locks to your business regularly.

This is where giving employees keys to the front and back door only makes the job easier. In this situation, you won't have to rekey all of the locks and the locksmith may be able to simply change the pin tumbler of the locks without having to replace them.

Conclusion

With internal theft at an all time high, it's important to speak to a commercial locksmith to learn more about how you can protect your business from experiencing any losses. Gain some insight in regards to what your business needs and which areas are the most vulnerable, so you can implement security measures and strategies that are more effective.