Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+

Latest NewsEmployment lawHR practiceHR strategyData protection

Sloppy HR costs government £4.3m in staff fraud cases

by Helen Gilbert 10 Nov 2008
by Helen Gilbert 10 Nov 2008

HR blunders were partly to blame for staff fraud and theft, costing government departments £4.3m last year.

An official study out last week found that 761 cases of internal fraud or theft were reported to 25 of the government’s 47 departments and agencies, rising from £3.85m in 2006.

In one case a number of staff appointed to fill several vacancies had claimed expenses worth £113,000 that they were not entitled to. The frauds arose because HR guidance had not been followed, the Fraud Report 2007-08 said.

In another HR botch, a part-time employee was set up on the payroll as a full-time employee in error and was paid as full time for several years costing £29,000.

Stephen Moir, president of the Public Sector People Managers’ Association, told Personnel Today that HR departments must be seen to act quickly in such cases.

“For HR to retain a shred of credibility, it has to respond to such issues, with line managers, in a rapid fashion,” he said.

Other personnel management abuses included staff taking sick leave to work elsewhere, and employees misusing flexible working systems. In one case, a senior manager misused his government procurement card to the tune of £78,000.

Moir stressed that HR professionals should work with other departments to ensure a holistic approach is taken to fraud and theft issues.

“Embedding such a framework has to be complemented by the organisational ‘will’ to take early action to tackle any identified issues, including reporting criminal activity to the police,” he said.

The report agreed, warning: “Staff who get away with this type of fraud may be tempted to attempt much more serious frauds.”

In the following clip, Catherine Johns from the law firm Pinsent Masons explains the steps HR managers can take to help protect the business against acts of fraud by staff.

 




 

Avatar
Helen Gilbert

previous post
Acas funding doubts laid to rest by conciliation organisation
next post
Tribunal costs plan backed by HR directors – losing staff should pay costs

You may also like

PM’s resignation sheds light on leadership psychology and...

7 Jul 2022

Netherlands on track to approve working from home...

7 Jul 2022

Supporting Muslims during Eid: Five employer questions

7 Jul 2022

Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers...

7 Jul 2022

Employment and equalities ministers quit Boris Johnson’s cabinet

6 Jul 2022

Maya Forstater wins belief discrimination case over gender-critical...

6 Jul 2022

Learning disability employment gap shows local spikes

6 Jul 2022

Inflation: A return to the 1970s or a...

6 Jul 2022

NI threshold increase ‘not likely to benefit workers’

6 Jul 2022

Kristie Higgs succeeds in bid to remove LGBT...

5 Jul 2022
  • Preventing Burnout: How can HR help key workers get the right help? PROMOTED | Workplace wellbeing may seem a distant memory...Read more
  • The ultimate guide to payroll for small businesses PROMOTED | You’ve started a business that has expanded to the point of requiring more staff to meet demand. Congratulations!...Read more
  • NSPCC revamps its learning strategy with child wellbeing at its heart PROMOTED | The NSPCC’s mission is to prevent abuse and neglect...Read more
  • Diversity versus inclusion: Why the difference matters PROMOTED | It’s possible for an environment to be diverse, but not inclusive...Read more
  • Five steps for organisations across the globe to become more skills-driven PROMOTED | The shift in the world of work has been felt across the globe...Read more
  • The future of workforce development PROMOTED | Northumbria University and partners share insight...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2022

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2022 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
    • Advertise
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Equality, diversity and inclusion
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • XpertHR
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Pricing
    • Free trial
    • Subscribe
    • XpertHR USA
  • Webinars
  • OHW+