Pen Stealing At Work A Sign of A Future Master Criminal or Thief?

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Pen stealing at work can be a sign or early symptom of a life of crime. Study says petty offenses can morph into big ones-Madoff Territory.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/...rate-fraud_n_5530999.html?utm_hp_ref=business

I must admit some of the stuff I've seen at the work place appalls me but I never came a cross a master criminal. I've seen narcissistic , ignorant, arrogant, over entitled employees who look at the workplace/company as the enemy and a system to be gamed viewing their small meaningless life as the world's responsibility but I never came across a master criminal. I've seen scheming, conniving and/or self centered employees but never a master criminal. I've seen outstanding liars and excuse makers, procrastinators but never a master criminal.

I have mostly seen a lot of time thieves including those who don't want to work on Fridays, after lunch, Monday morning or the last hour of the day.
 

I pretty much think ones character and ethics are already formed by the time they start working. That doesn't mean I don't think people can go downhill or make a change for the better. Most of the lasting lessons about character and ethics I learned as a child.
 
BlunderWoman said:
I pretty much think ones character and ethics are already formed by the time they start working. That doesn't mean I don't think people can go downhill or make a change for the better. Most of the lasting lessons about character and ethics I learned as a child.
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I agree but so many get caught up in work place practices. And to top it off most can't or won't differentiate between policy, practice, the law and ethics which are all different things. Many think if goes on in the work place without consequence they ASSume it's ok if not legal. There are a lot of lines to walk. I've seen supervisors all but give stuff away because the more budget they use the more they will get next year. I've seen supervisors and employees basically collude or enable petty theft. I never took new but was a dumpster diver for years which was wrong because the dumpster was company trash and I even stopped that. A lot of this goes back to leadership and employee treatment which should be battled out in an conference room or court and not a supply closet. Nor should be it be considered a game. Still though, Yes,ethics should always prevail.

What I really find disheartening are the senior employees with gray hair taking or enabling stuff like a kid in a candy store. They are the ones that should be reminding employees that's basically stealing if you aren't using it for work. They are the ones that should be setting the example as an adult, senior employee and member of society.
 

I'm also of the mind that being online on social networks or shopping or whatever while you are being paid to work for someone else is stealing wages ;) Of course it's very common and people do it without batting an eye.
Some people have no shame at all about being thieves. A few years back I stopped at a little store I usually went to and the clerk asked how I was doing & I told her fine & that we were building a deck. She said " My husband does construction for the contractor that is building the new homes. He can get you some lumber & sell it to you real cheap. You just can't tell anyone where you got it. I stood there a minute and then said " No thank you. I'd rather not have stolen lumber that your husband never paid a dime for." She didn't know I was friends with the owner of the place she worked at & I told him about it & told him to watch & see what she walked out of his store ;)
 
BlunderWoman said:
I'm also of the mind that being online on social networks or shopping or whatever while you are being paid to work for someone else is stealing wages ;) Of course it's very common and people do it without batting an eye.
Some people have no shame at all about being thieves. A few years back I stopped at a little store I usually went to and the clerk asked how I was doing & I told her fine & that we were building a deck. She said " My husband does construction for the contractor that is building the new homes. He can get you some lumber & sell it to you real cheap. You just can't tell anyone where you got it. I stood there a minute and then said " No thank you. I'd rather not have stolen lumber that your husband never paid a dime for." She didn't know I was friends with the owner of the place she worked at & I told him about it & told him to watch & see what she walked out of his store ;)
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Stuff like that is so common. Also a lot of people want to be popular with "I can get you a deal". And to repeat myself a lot of people don't view stealing time or supplies from the boss stealing but getting even or revenge. Some how they can compartmentalize. If their kid got caught stealing a 50 cent candy bar they'd have a fit and yet they don't think twice about taking a 5 dollar box of pens or pack of legal pads as theft. Not an excuse but part of the problem is that most Americans hate working and hate working for someone else even more so the relationship is confrontational which turns daily business into a game. They didn't steal they got back at the boss.

Even more troubling is a lot of the employees that take the small stuff can afford it. I worked a well paid union job that supplied the tools and if you lost or damaged a screw driver here or a hammer there no big deal. There were guys who lost one of every single tool ever issued to them. I saw what one guy had in his personal pick up truck tool box one day and every tool just happened to be the same manufacture and model of the tools the company issued. As soon as the company started using a computer system to track what each employee was issued and not just the quantity and price of what the company ordered the amount of tools and supplies issued dropped.
 
College students got/get their degree at a businesses expense.

Although I was always told work hard and be honest I was lucky I guess to have a boss when I was young that "introduced" me to theft of time in the work place. It was a big chain store and found myself always working stocking, customer service etc. I mentioned/mumbled/ wished why can't I study for school on the sales floor like others. First words out of his mouth-If I ever catch you doing that I will fire you. He said he understands many managers let the employees get away with it since it's "for school" but it is wrong. Needless to say many college students/part time employees dreaded coming to our department even if occasional. A lot of college students actually feel entitled to study on the job. This what bothers me the most, those who feel entitled.
 
BlunderWoman said:
I know my son owns a mechanic shop ;) He has HIS tools locked up tight & doesn't let employees near his tools.
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Any jobs or job sites that involve tools always seem to have high theft. I heard many of the big car dealer shops are the worst because a lot of those mechanics even though in a company uniform are more or less contractors and must supply their own tools. I knew one guy he had to go out of his way to get a heavy duty tool box to prevent theft or be damaged less if they did try to break into it. I understand some might forget or lose a tool occasionally but some guys "lose" tools every day. I worked one job site where some of the employees would not only borrow from you but go so far as to borrow from other trades and companies on regular basis, they wouldn't buy squat. One day they forgot to lock up another tradesman tool box and their borrowing was greatly reduced to say the least.
 
Kinda interesting to think about: what is the difference between someone who perpetually steals (big or little things) in various ways...compared to what they call a 'criminal.' The criminal has been caught and punished...that's about it. How serious it is when it comes to a 'petty thief' depends upon who is being ripped off...if its "me" ... that can make it a whole different story!! :)
 

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