Cash integrity · Coaching

How do I catch employee theft?

The useful version of “how do I catch employee theft?” starts with the till and the shift, not with a suspect. Most repeating shortages shrink when someone owns the drawer, the count is real, and the team knows you will look. Catching a person is what you do after that process still fails — not instead of it.

Short answer

Coach the cash routine until it is boring: one owner per drawer where you can, count in and out, a reason on voids and no-sales, dual control on drops. Review those exceptions with the shift lead on a rhythm. Use a short camera clip only to see what the register already pointed at. If a pattern survives that, document it and follow a fair process. Do not ambush someone from a hunch.

Coach the till before you name a thief

• Drawer ownership. Shared drawers make every short till a mystery. Assign where the roster allows, including seniors.
• A visible count. Open and close, with a second person when the amount matters. The ritual is the coaching.
• Reasons on exceptions. Voids, no-sales, refunds, and discounts get a short note. “No reason” is the habit you coach.
• Same rules for trusted people. A special drawer for a favourite is how shortages hide.

Then look, with the shift lead

POS exceptions are the map: which shift, which event, which amount. A camera at the counter confirms the drawer moment. It does not replace the map. Watch the timestamp, not the whole afternoon. Write down what you saw. Talk to the person about the routine first — training and sloppy change are common. Misconduct is a conclusion, not the opening line.

Sibling pages, still about the till rather than a sting: why the till is short, stop staff stealing from the till, signs worth checking, and cameras and POS together.

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