Sadly, many businesses in the food service industry become victims of employee theft. In general, people assume that employee theft only consists of money that may be taken during a shift. However, there is much more that can be stolen from an employer. When someone gives food or a drink to a friend without payment, they are essentially stealing from their employer. Employees often do this because it is easy to do and they suffer no consequences. If you take the time to set up a system that catches employees and let them know that there will be consequences for their actions, it will help prevent much of the theft that may otherwise occur.

• It is not possible for those who run the business to oversee everything at all times. There is simply too much that has to be taken care of in the day to day operations. This means that there needs to be a proper tracking system in place for sales. You want to know how much of each food item, beverage and alcohol type is being sold each shift and each day. This will give you a better idea of what customers are looking for most when they pay you a visit, and what is disappearing from an inside job.
• Tracking does not only involve the items going out. In order to truly prevent theft, you must also have adequate tracking of what is in inventory. You should keep current, up-to-date logs of every item that is stored in the cooler, freezer and dry storage area. This includes food, drinks and the different forms of alcohol you keep in stock. This allows you to compare what you have on hand with what was sold to determine if there is anything missing. By doing this you have the best chances of learning of and dealing with theft from your inventory. You should also keep all alcohol locked and only allow managers and the bartender access to the supply. Many employees would be quick to take a small amount of liquor if given the opportunity.
• When it comes to the cash, it is imperative that you prevent theft. If employees have the ability to take small amounts of money, it could drastically affect your bottom line. One way to help ensure this does not happen is to limit the access to the safe. Never allow employees the ability to open the safe on their own. Only trusted employees, such as managers, should have the responsibility. The same is true for cash drawers. If too many people have access to the cash drawers, it will be easier for an employee to pocket some money without being caught. Limit the access to no more than 3  trusted employees and you will decrease the chances of someone taking cash when you are not looking. Alternatively, each employee can have a login to the cash register, and the system can record how much cash it started off with, keeping track of all transactions.
  

The most important thing you can do to prevent theft from your employees is to enforce all policies you have set up. Once you have your tracking system in place, it is vital that you also develop serious consequences for anyone caught stealing. This could be anything from losing their job to legal action being taken against them depending upon the nature of the theft. If employees understand that there is zero tolerance for theft, they will be less likely to give it a try.

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