Personnel management fraud

It is also called staff fraud, where the organisation may not suspect its employees but may face losses due to them. The biggest issue is that firms need to find a balance where they may have to investigate but cannot be intrusive. Employees commit such frauds when they assume their actions will go undetected. 

Sometimes it happens when there is too much work pressure or some threatening factors involved. Some may have reasons, or they justify their actions.

Some of the common types are 

• Taking leaves and working elsewhere

• Abusing flexible working hours

• Misuse of official time and misrepresentation or giving fake references.

• A study finds internal control’s weakness leads to over 50 per cent of such cases. Often small firms lose more than large and referrals for the prosecution have declined over the past ten years.   

How To Protect?

Organisations should have a strict policy to overcome their actions. They should always get a thorough analysis of the risks related to their business to find the loopholes and vulnerabilities in implementing the work procedures. 

Furthermore, a culture of awareness and fraud prevention should be promoted where everyone should take responsibility.  

Firms should conduct proper screening at the time of recruitment. In addition, they should provide training at the time of induction and regular monitoring and integrate law enforcement at each stage and level of management. 

Finally, they should have proper whistleblowing procedures and get feedback from the staff in case of dismissal or other actions taken to reinforce the rules and discipline.