Over 4,500 employees steal from workplace in past year
06/04/2025
New data released today by Zurich UK reveals that 4,562 workers were caught stealing from their workplace in the last year. According to Zurich’s claims data, each incident of theft costs the business anything up to £35,728.
The analysis was carried out based on Freedom of Information data from 39 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales.
However, the data also shows that there has been a 15% decline in this type of theft over the last three years, a positive sign for employers.
London’s Metropolitan Police saw the highest number of employee thefts, with 794 incidents last year. The biggest drop was recorded by Gloucestershire police, who saw a 46% decrease from 93 employee thefts in 2023, down to 50 in the last year.
Claims into six figures
According to Zurich’s claims data, the largest claim reached £249,229 and involved fraud at a high-end jeweller. A case of employee theft and embezzlement at a medical centre amounted to £50,000, while another embezzlement claim lost a furniture company £63,439.
Robert Higgs, a Senior Speciality Lines claims expert for Zurich, said:
“Employee theft takes on many forms, from petty theft of stationary to fraud and embezzlement, which can cost hundreds of thousands of pounds and be devastating to businesses.
“The decline in such thefts could be attributed to various factors including a rise in companies investing in advanced AI fraud detection systems, better security measures and cashless payment models. By helping businesses address weak spots, such as enhancing digital security, it’s possible to prevent theft and reduce claims. Zurich prides itself on working with customers to help in any way possible with loss prevention.
“Preventing any claim is beneficial to all parties and helps to keep premiums as low as possible.”
Will Anderson, Zurich Specialty Lines Claims Head commented:
‘It’s positive to see a decline in the number of reported thefts in the workplace, given the ongoing burden of a high cost of living.
“Despite this decline in volume and enhancement in technology, no business is immune from this type of theft which can occur at all levels of an organisation.
“Crime Insurance provides vital protection that can help mitigate the impact of these financial losses and help businesses resume normal operations in a swift fashion.”
Five types of theft from work
• Cash: Employees stealing money from tills or petty cash or expenses.
• Inventory: Employees making off with goods, merchandise or office supplies.
• Data: Stealing sensitive information such as customer data.
• Intellectual property: Theft or misuse of trade secrets or other intellectual property.
• Embezzlement: Employees misusing company funds or resources for personal gain.
Eight strategies to protect your business from employee theft
• Carry out robust employee background checks when recruiting.
• Create clear policies and procedures
• Ensure you have a strong and dual approval and verification processes for payments.
• Document all transactions using purchase orders, invoices and receipts.
• Put in place a random audit schedule and use different internal auditors.
• Foster a positive work environment ensuring employees feel valued.
• Ensure employees can speak up through confidential whistleblowing channels.
• Invest in strong cyber controls and security awareness.
