Workplace theft happens when workers are treated poorly

Workplace theft — ranging from theft of office supplies all the way up to direct embezzlement of company funds — is more common than many people realize. Most workers have stolen something at one time or another.

In fact, in one study, it was concluded that 68% of managers and employers have stolen something from their place of employment, implying that they have done so intentionally. In fact, one out of every five workers said they even felt that it was justified.

Reasons for theft

To understand why this happens, you just have to look at the rationalizations that people tend to use. Here are the top four reasons:

1. The boss treats the workers rudely, so they feel better about theft.
2. The workers do not feel that they make enough money to afford to purchase the item that they end up stealing.
3. The workers feel that they are not paid enough in general, so they see theft as a way to get more for their efforts.
4. The employees believe that no one at the company is ever going to notice. For instance, a company accountant may steal thousands, doctor the books, and assume they’ll never get caught and no one will even notice, so it doesn’t actually harm the company in any fundamental way.

Those who have been accused of embezzelment, theft and other types of white-collar crime that happen in the workplace have likely used these reasons to excuse those actions. If this leads to an arrest and serious legal charges, it is important for them to understand their legal defense options. With theft being so common, this could happen to almost anyone.