Crimes are commonplace in today’s society. We don’t even bat an eyelash when we hear of robbery and theft in someone’s house. But what gets our attention is, if it happens in a place of business. It’s not like white collar crimes are rare, it’s just that the companies are ready good at hiding it. Because such incidents affect their brand name and they also lose the confidence of people in their products and services. It is apparent that white collar crime should be stopped. However, it is not easy to prevent it.
Fortunately, there are measures you can take to prevent white collar crime. Let’s a look at some of them.
Teach your Staff Business Ethics
It all starts with the people that make up your company. Be it the executives or the labor staff, employ people who are aware of business ethics. Now, everyone know what good moral conduct is, but that doesn’t stop people from committing crimes. In addition to teaching your employees work ethics, make sure to tell them the exact consequences of their action. That is what will stop them from committing crimes.
Consult a Business Lawyer
We all know it’s a good move to hire an attorney before starting a business. They help you with a lot of legal stuff that might be difficult for startup companies. But people don’t realize how much more a lawyer can do for their business. Criminal lawyers Parramatta can consult your team on what kind of white collar crime is common and what you’re likely to encounter in the future. Not only that, they can also advice you on what kind of legal actions your company will take against any employee who commits a crime or misdemeanor. It is also a good idea to include that in the employment contract before hiring staff.
Install an effective monitoring system
Sometimes, just letting people know the consequences of their actions is not enough motivation to stop them for committing crimes. You need to be proactive and monitor your employees. Install a monitoring system in your company’s office, such as cameras, motion sensors, cybersecurity, etc. This will help you monitor the activities of your employees and deter them from committing business crimes. However, keep in mind to not go overboard with the monitoring system. Do not invade the personal privacy of your employees.
Regulate the Usage of Internet
Most white collar crime is committed through the internet. Since all of the company’s data and record are stored online these days, it makes it easier for criminals to access them. First of all, make sure to invest highly in online security. Hire software technicians to keep your business data safe. And secondly, regulate the use of internet on company premises. It doesn’t mean that you should prohibit your employees from browsing on social media, just limit their access to questionable sites.
Practice Internal Audits
Almost all white collar crime has something to do with money, such as bribery, embezzlement and money laundering, etc. It makes sense to be extra vigilant regarding money matters in your company. Internal audits are a great way to make sure all your money is in its right place. It will prevent your employees from sneaking dollars in and out of the company, if they know that an audit can take place at any time unexpectedly and they don’t have time to temper with the documents.
