Business Loss (EPPA) Polygraph

Many small business owners have a difficult time believing that one or more of their employees or managers are stealing from them, which makes them reluctant to take the EPPA polygraph route.

In many cases, the owner or manager has developed long-term friendships with employees, and the personal betrayal of theft is hard to swallow or even acknowledge.

If you’re wondering if a polygraph is the right choice for your employee theft investigation, let’s talk about your situation in detail.

Reasons to Address Theft in Your Business

• It is important to quickly find out the truth about employee theft, as it undermines the morale of honest employees.
• Most honest employees who believe there is a theft problem will eventually leave your company if that problem goes unchecked.
• Announcing that an EPPA polygraph will be a part of the investigation begins to put an appropriate fear into the actual guilty employee(s). I’ve often found that the ‘problem’ goes away before the investigation is even complete, and when I say go away, I mean they go away permanently, finding a convenient reason to quit or simply abandon their job.
• And if the ‘reasonable suspect’ refuses to take the polygraph test, you can legally terminate their employment for this refusal.

The EPPA Polygraph

This refers to a lie detector test that falls under the rules of the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA).

Federal Law gives you the right to utilize polygraphs to help solve specific business losses.

The law also requires that you only test employees for whom you have established a reasonable suspicion of involvement.

This takes any employee’s perceptions of prejudice out of the picture and gives you a legal leg to stand on when seeking answers for employee theft investigation questions using a polygraph.

The Foundation

According to the law, there are specific requirements you must meet to conduct an EPPA polygraph test, of which the most crucial are the following:

• You must have a specific loss (deposit missing from the company safe, etc.)
• You must have an ongoing employee theft investigation (filing a police report, etc.)
• The person(s) to be tested must have had access (combination to the safe, etc.)

You must have a reasonable suspicion of the person(s) you want to test. Access alone is not enough. Did the money go missing, and the employee didn’t come to work for three days after? Do you have knowledge that this person has been having financial difficulties?

When it comes to EPPA polygraph tests, these types of things are what you will need to establish for reasonable suspicion.

I Make It Easy

These requirements are important, but also fairly easy to meet. There is a good chance you have already fulfilled most or even all of them prior to considering polygraph testing.

To make this part of your investigation smooth and easy, I have compiled an employee theft polygraph packet with employer instructions and all necessary forms.

For the sake of your honest employees and a healthy bottom line, take steps now to solve your workplace theft problems.

When you are ready to add an EPPA polygraph to your employee theft investigation or have more questions, please call me at (800) 497-9305.

Here are some of the business loss situations where an EPPA polygraph can be utilized:

• Missing Money
• Inventory Shortages
• Product Tampering
• Industrial Espionage
• Commercial Sabotage
• Intellectual Property Theft
• Property & Merchandise Damage
• Misappropriation and Embezzlement

Get the Truth Today

Polygraph for workplace theft and fraud issues gives you a chance to establish ground-level truth from which you can make better decisions.

Read real reviews from dozens of clients and explore my FAQs to learn more about my accurate polygraph examinations.

Common Questions About Polygraph Tests for Business Losses

1. I want to know about any other thefts going on in my business, and I don’t want to discriminate against any one employee, so can I have all my employees tested?

As reasonable as it may sound to try and ‘clean house’ and discover all forms of employee theft, the Employee Polygraph Protection Act (EPPA) law does not allow for blanket EPPA polygraph testing, for good reason.

The law is quite clear that you can only test employees who had both access to what was stolen and for whom you have established a ‘reasonable suspicion’ that they did, in fact, commit the theft.

The fewer employees tested, the more trust is maintained. Guilty employees don’t feel accused when asked to take a polygraph because they know they are guilty; however, when innocent employees are asked to take a polygraph test, they feel accused and as though the boss doesn’t trust them.

The law actually does a good job of limiting suspicion to where it is needed, and this helps to maintain overall employee morale during the investigation.

2. Can the EPPA polygraph test be done at our business since the employees are there every day anyway?

As a general rule, the employee theft investigation questions are better administered at a different location than the business location. A few reasons for this are:

• Whether an employee being polygraph tested is guilty or innocent, having to take the test in front of all the other employees can cause unnecessary embarrassment.
• If multiple employees are being tested on the same day, I can assure you they will gossip with each other before, during, and after the EPPA polygraph tests, which can undermine the overall investigation. For these employee theft exams, having individual appointments unknown to the other examinees at an off-site location is always preferable.
• Experience shows that taking the employees to be polygraph tested outside of their natural working environment brings a higher level of cooperation and sharing of information.

3. How much do the lie detection tests cost, and is there a discount if several employees need to be tested?

Since there is no way to shorten or give a partial polygraph test, an examiner’s fees cannot be made up in ‘volume’.

Each EPPA polygraph test requires the examiner to spend 1 1/2 – 3 real man-hours; therefore, each test carries its own fee. My testing fees vary per exam depending on complexity. See the pricing page for more information, and call to discuss pricing.

4. When will I get the results of the employee theft investigation questions you ask during the exam?

The results can be given verbally immediately after finishing the last employee’s polygraph. A written report will follow 2–3 business days after.

5. If the first employee tested fails and confesses to the theft, can I cancel the remaining EPPA polygraph tests?

Yes, you can, but I would not recommend it. Having more than one employee involved in theft is commonplace, as is one employee covering for another. If you established reasonable suspicion, there is probably a good reason for that, and it is suggested that you follow through with testing all reasonable suspects.

Since time has already been committed, there are no refunds for canceled tests or no-shows.

6. Can I fire the employees who failed the polygraph test based solely on those results?

No. But you can fire them based on the results of the EPPA polygraph exam if you also have supporting evidence, and you let the employee know in writing that you are firing them based on all of the evidence, not just the polygraph alone.

Bottom line: The employee theft investigation questions asked during a polygraph are only a part of the overall investigation and should be considered as such when taking action against any employee.

Note: Even though this will keep you in compliance with the federal EPPA law, it’s wise to receive counsel on any nuances with state labor laws before taking action.

7. Can I fire an employee who refuses to take the EPPA polygraph test?

Yes and No. Any person or employee always has the right to refuse to take the employee theft polygraph test. However, if you have established reasonable suspicion that this employee was involved in the theft, then you can fire them for non-cooperation and insubordination if they refuse to take the polygraph.

Why?

Because in reality, you are not firing them for not taking a polygraph, but rather due to the supporting evidence and the fact that they are choosing not to cooperate in your investigation.

I know this seems like an argument of semantics, but when it comes to EPPA polygraphs, employee theft investigation questions, and the law, it is important to do and say things in the right way to avoid the risk of retaliation by a vexed employee.

Note:  Even though this will keep you in compliance with the federal EPPA law, it’s wise to receive counsel on any nuances with state labor laws before taking action.

Read my complete list of frequently asked questions for more information about my services, and contact me directly to discuss your situation.