Professional surveillance is something that many companies must consider in order to protect their assets and ensure employees are compliant with company policies and applicable laws. But what are some specific reasons that your company might need to hire a professional surveillance team? And what are the steps you need to take in order to make sure that it’s done effectively?
Professional Surveillance
The following are three primary reasons your company might need to perform surveillance:
1. To Monitor Employee Behavior
One of the primary reasons companies use professional surveillance services is to monitor employee behavior.
By monitoring employee activity, you can ensure that employees are following company guidelines and policies.
This can prevent disruptions in the workplace and help maintain productivity.
2. To Detect Threats or Violations
Another reason companies require professional surveillance services is to detect threats or violations.
By monitoring activity in real-time, you can identify potential security risks early on and take appropriate action.
This can help protect your company from harm and keep employees safe.
3. To Detect Theft and Vandalism
Another common reason companies need to rely on professional surveillance is to detect theft and vandalism.
Through strategic monitoring, you can identify patterns that may indicate an internal crime is being committed and take action accordingly.
This can help protect your company’s assets and keep its property safe.
4. To Detect Fraud and Abuse
A critical reason a company should hire surveillance experts is to detect fraud and abuse.
Using expert surveillance methods, you can identify potentially illegal activities such as workers' compensation fraud and take action to prevent them from happening.
This can help protect your company’s bottom line.
Professional Surveillance for Insurance Fraud
Insurance fraud is on the rise, and it’s not just small businesses that are at risk.
According to a report from the National Insurance Crime Unit (NICU), large organizations and corporations are also falling victim to insurance fraudsters.
If you think your company might be at risk, it’s important to understand how professional surveillance can help you.
Professional surveillance will allow you to:
- Prevent or detect fraudulent claims
- Stop insider theft
- Detect and prosecute criminal activity in the workplace
Surveillance–done correctly–can help you protect your business from potential fraud and crime, both now and in the future.
Professional Surveillance for Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Workers’ compensation fraud is unfortunately a common occurrence, costing businesses millions of dollars.
There are several reasons why your company might require professional surveillance services in response to workers’ compensation claims:
- Your company documents show that workers are claiming benefits they're not entitled to.
- You notice an increase in the number of workers filing claims for phantom injuries.
- You notice an increase in the number of workers filing claims for conditions that never existed.
- You notice an increase in the number of workers filing claims for conditions that did exist but weren't work related.
- You notice an increase in the number of workers who have multiple jobs and are claiming benefits from more than one employer.
If you think your company might be at risk, it’s important to consider your options for conducting a professional surveillance operation.
Professional Surveillance to Detect FMLA Abuse
If you're like most business owners, you're probably familiar with the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Designed to help workers take time off to care for a family member, the FMLA is an important law that must be followed. However, there's one area of the FMLA that businesses need to be aware of–abuse.
Under the FMLA, employers must allow employees to take up to 12 weeks of leave in a single 12-month period to care for a child, parent, spouse, or domestic partner who is ill.
However, there are some exceptions that may allow an employee to take more leave than the 12 weeks allowed under the FMLA.
If you're concerned that an employee is abusing the FMLA by taking leave for reasons that are not covered by the law, it's important to talk to the employee and determine if he or she actually needs the leave.
If you believe that an employee is abusing the FMLA, you should take steps to document abuse such as performing surveillance.
Professional Surveillance to Detect Workplace Drug Abuse
Employers need to be aware of the dangers of workplace drug abuse and take action to prevent it.
Employers can face major legal ramifications if they do not take measures to prevent drug abuse in their workforce.
Here are some reasons why your company might need to perform surveillance of employees for drug abuse:
To protect the safety of employees and others:
Workplace drug abuse can lead to dangerous situations and accidents.
If an employee is using drugs at work, he or she may be impaired and unable to safely perform his or her job.
Drug-affected workers also may be resistant to supervision and make careless decisions that could put others at risk.
To prevent financial loss:
Drug abuse can lead to costly violations of health and safety laws, as well as lost productivity.
If a worker is impaired at work, he or she may not be able to provide the level of service required by the company.
In addition, drug abusers are more likely than other employees to commit theft, sabotage, or other acts of misconduct.
To avoid potential litigation:
A company that fails to take steps to prevent workplace drug abuse may face litigation from disgruntled employees or individuals who were injured as a result of drug use.
Legal proceedings can be expensive and time-consuming, and can damage a company's reputation.
Performing professional surveillance to detect and document workplace drug abuse is key to protecting your company against liability.
Surveillance Technology
CIC surveillance technology can be used in a variety of ways to protect your company against threats, fraud, and liability.
If video is required of the subject up close, we have wearable covert cameras that will capture high quality video.
We also have experience and technology for installing real-time GPS tracking devices, but if a stationary camera is needed, we can hide them in numerous household items for motion-detected video recording.
CIC surveillance experts have been successful using the latest technology to obtain the evidence sufficient to file criminal fraud charges and support successful litigation.
Surveillance Strategy
If you feel you must conduct surveillance to expose potential employee fraud, theft, or threats in the workplace, it's important to rely on professional investigators to develop a good plan.
CIC surveillance experts will:
- Establish clear guidelines for how and when surveillance will be conducted, including who will be authorized to conduct it, and what types of information will be collected.
- Make sure all surveillance equipment is properly calibrated and functioning properly, and that footage is stored in a secure location.
- We will create a policy for how footage will be used, stored, and shared, and set up a system to provide video evidence using convenient and secure online technology that makes it easy for our clients to watch.
- We will always exercise caution when gathering evidence, and ensure that any footage gathered is used only for the purposes intended.
Hire CIC Surveillance Investigators
Do you suspect fraud or threats in your workplace? If you think your company might need professional surveillance services, contact CIC for a consultation.
Our investigators are experienced in conducting wide-ranging investigations and will ensure that your needs are met discreetly and in a timely manner.
For more information about this article, or Investigative Services, please contact us at 1.800.573.2201 / 419.874.2201.
