Theft
in the workplace has cost public sector employees an estimated £96m during the
past three years, new research claims.
A
survey of more than 800 workers by insurance group Zurich Financial Services
reveals that one in 20 respondents have been the victim of theft.
Nurses
were the most likely to have had something stolen, with 9 per cent having been
victims, followed by teachers at 7 per cent, the research shows.
The
average value of stolen items was £244, and the most common items to have gone
missing were purses and wallets, followed by mobile phones and handbags.
As
a result, almost two-thirds of employers have installed coded doors with just
over half issuing security passes and putting in place security cameras, Zurich
said.
But
despite these measures, less than one in seven thieves have been caught.
Vanessa
Brindley, marketing manager
at Zurich, said: "Prevention is always better than cure, so being vigilant
and not taking valuable items into work or leaving them lying around is vital.
"Workers
should have somewhere secure
to store personal items and, last but not least, they should make sure their
insurance covers their personal possessions at work."
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