Millions of people around the world have "bitten the hand that feeds."
Terrence Shulman is founder and director of the Shulman Center for Compulsive Theft, Spending and Hoarding, and author of Biting the Hand That Feeds: The Employee Theft Epidemic (Infinity Publishing, 2005). In his book and his work, Shulman aims to shine a light on the human side of theft. He's an attorney, therapist, consultant, and former shoplifter who is intent on offering new perspectives and new solutions to the problem of employee theft.
Shulman categorizes thieves into several groups: Addictive-compulsive thieves who suffer from anger issues; professionals who steal for profit; impoverished people who steal out of economic need; thrill-seekers who do it for the rush; drug, alcohol or gambling addicts who steal to support their habit; and kleptomaniacs, who steal for no reason at all.
In the nursery industry, there are several targets for theft. Tools are an easy target, and valuable for resale purposes. Inventory is trickier, because finding a buyer isn't as simple.
"There are a variety of reasons why people steal, and none of them are justified," Shulman says. "But getting into the psychology, many people are just opportunistic. They are not feeling loyal to the company, they’re seasonal, they’re feeling underpaid and overworked."
Many of these people have stolen before at other jobs, which makes it easier for subsequent theft, Shulman says.
"Once they take that first step, it often escalates. It can continue or it can snowball. Whether we call that greed or excitement or potentially a habit, those are things employers ought to know but might not understand."
It's difficult for an employer to find out that a valued employee has been stealing from them. Shulman's book is full of stories about unlikely thieves, from a church treasurer who embezzled more than $700,000 from her place of worship, to long-time employees who have been stealing under their boss's nose for years.
"People might initially do it out of desperation, but then once you open Pandora’s box it gets awfully tempting," Shulman says.
Learn more at http://www.employeetheftsolutions.com/.