Staff theft almost closed supermarket

BY KELLY LONEY

Two Hawera supermarket owner-operators were close to going out of business before they realised they were haemorrhaging money to an employee.

Rachel and Mike Clayton, of Hawera New World, say the checkout manager who stole nearly $100,000 in cash over a year-long period not only almost crippled the business, which employs 86 people, but also shattered morale.

"It's gut-wrenching to say the least, devastating really," Mrs Clayton said.

Janette Kemp, 47, has admitted charges of using a document to commit a crime and theft by a person in a special relationship.

Kemp, who told police she stole the money to help pay for her gambling addiction, was remanded on bail and is due to reappear for sentencing next month.

The couple said the time leading up to discovery of the theft was as stressful as finding out an employee was doing the stealing.

At first they thought they were struggling through the recession.

"The hardest thing was trying to keep the business functioning and keep the staff employed," Mrs Clayton said. "That's a lot of profit taken from us, we had loans to pay and commitments.

"We were doubting ourselves, that maybe we were doing something wrong in running the business."

Mrs Clayton was on maternity leave while it was all happening and "we were trying to be strong and get through it".

They thought it may have been the computer system but they found nothing was wrong there.

Then they thought it must be theft, recognising the signs from when Mrs Clayton's parents had been through it with Hawera's Wright Price supermarket.

They found the cashflow and bankings weren't adding up with what was being ordered.

More tobacco was being returned than was being put on the shelves and large quantities of products were coming back.

"The staff were all victims of it. We just started looking at everybody and that was awful, not trusting anybody," Mrs Clayton said.

The culprit became obvious when till records were matched to video surveillance footage.

Kemp was swiping her card at a till and logging on as different operators to return products.

She would then take the exact figure for the value of the returned goods from the cash room the next day.

The Claytons say the theft has made them "a little harder and a little tougher".

Their staff security systems are now tighter.

"I don't think people realise how much damage it does. Not just to us but the staff too," Mrs Clayton said.

"They were walking around for days devastated. She was their friend, they trusted her."

The couple urged businesses to prosecute employees for theft even though many are just dismissed to avoid the process.

"Some small businesses don't bother, but when it comes to the next employer, they walk in with a clean slate, there's no record. It is worth the hassle, we know that now."

- © Fairfax NZ News