About a year and a half after starting her job as an office administrator in 2023, Mary* began taking tea bags, coffee, and drinking chocolate from her workplace—and to this day, she never includes these items in her shopping list.
Mary admits she has also taken an extension cable and a packet of serviettes on occasion. Does anyone ever notice? “Nope. I work with men, so they’re oblivious to what’s in the pantry. Their only concern is having tea,” she laughs.
For Mary, it started as a response to feeling underpaid. “They don’t pay me enough,” she confides.
But what really pushes an employee to pocket office supplies—or even cash?
Kellen Njeru, a strategic human resource (HR) professional, says it often boils down to one's character, lack of integrity, and values.
“Another thing would be financial challenges. Like now, where we are as a country, the cost of living has increased, and employees are trying to make ends meet. So, if you work in a company that processes food and you don’t have food in your house, you take,” she explains.
Ms Njeru adds that employees who are not well remunerated might steal office equipment as a form of revenge.
“For example, a warehouse manager manning stock worth millions yet their renumeration is worth one item.”
Lastly, an employee could also steal if an opportunity presents itself, especially when there are no structures or systems in place to prevent it.
The early signs
However, Crispin Ochieng, a HR practitioner, points out that there are early warning signs that can help detect theft risks in the workplace. One key indicator is a sudden change in an employee's lifestyle.
“They may start spending more or making purchases that don't align with their income,” Mr Ochieng explains.
Other red flags include employees working extra hours—especially outside normal business times—accessing systems at odd hours or attempting to access data without proper authorisation.
Physical signs of possible theft include unfamiliar individuals or vehicles near restricted areas, frequent discrepancies in inventory, and missing supplies.
"You might also notice unexplained variances in financial records, inconsistent audit trails, excessive manual adjustments to accounts, or employees spending unusual amounts of time near valuable assets or storage areas," he adds.
After noticing theft…
When you discover that an employee has been taking things, Ms Njeru advises that the first step is to follow the proper disciplinary process. "If the correct disciplinary process is not followed, the employer can be faulted," she insists, citing the example of Peter v Jei Stores Limited.
On August 1, 2024, the Employment and Labour Relations Court in Nairobi, presided over by Justice Nzioki wa Makau (Cause E6477 of 2020), ruled in favour of Sylvia Mueni Peter, who had been suspended for allegedly stealing Sh140,803 from her employer's M‑Pesa agency.
Justice Makau found that Sylvia had not been given a fair hearing or invited back to work, noting, "The respondent was required to demonstrate the efforts it made in calling the employee it accused of abscondment. The employer is required under section 43 and 45 of the Employment Act to demonstrate there was basis for any termination and in this case, the respondent failed to do so."
Because the proper procedure was not followed and Sylvia had already been acquitted in criminal court, the judge ordered the employer to pay her Sh 57,500, issue a certificate of service, and cover the costs of the suit, with interest accruing until full payment.
Additionally, an employer can limit access to sensitive areas. Ms Njeru suggests that if there is stock in the warehouse, conducting frequent stock takes helps ensure that the records in the system match what is physically on the ground.
"Have CCTV cameras in case there is need to review what happened. Also, it is important for employers to train employees on integrity and do background checks at the beginning when hiring," she says.
Common mistakes when handling theft cases
When it comes to tackling workplace theft, companies often make mistakes that can undermine their efforts. Mr Ochieng points out that one major pitfall is failing to address the root causes.
Issues such as low staff morale, employees facing financial difficulties, or poor treatment of staff can all create an environment where workers may start considering theft as an option.
Another common mistake is having unclear or incomplete policies and procedures. "Without clear guidelines, employees may not understand what constitutes theft or what the consequences are, leading to confusion and inconsistent enforcement," he says.
Inadequate security measures are also a concern. "Poor inventory control can make it hard to detect theft, while neglecting to protect sensitive data—for example, by not using strong passwords—leaves a company exposed."
He further observes that investigations into suspected theft are often mishandled. Failing to follow proper procedures or neglecting to document the process, evidence, and findings can severely weaken a company's response and make it difficult to resolve cases effectively.
