Payroll Fraud | False Timesheets

The verification of employees suspected of illegal behaviour is part of the day-to-day work of Kurtz Detective Agency Zurich and Switzerland. Theft, embezzlement, unauthorised secondary employment, and fraudulent offences such as deliberately falsified work-hour records are documented by our trained business detectives in a legally admissible manner: +41 44 552 2264.

Questionable Timesheets and Expense Claims? Zurich Detective Agency Follows Up Across Switzerland

Employees are often quite inventive when it comes to securing an unfair advantage and may have no qualms about doing so at their employer’s expense. This phenomenon primarily occurs among field staff, who rarely come into contact with colleagues or supervisors due to the nature of their work. This lack of oversight allows employees to deceive their employer without being immediately detected. The missing control must inevitably be compensated by trust from the employing company, or, once that trust is exhausted, by our Swiss detectives, who are tasked with checking the field employee.

 

It appears that the employees concerned either lack awareness of wrongdoing or simply do not care if they harm their employer. Otherwise, it is hard to explain why, for example, they claim expenses that the company has never incurred. Without shame, they use their expense account for personal fuel costs, postage for private correspondence, restaurant visits with friends, and other domestic expenditures. If the delinquent employee submits these false claims only occasionally, it may take a long time before the irregularities are noticed. Regardless of when an initial suspicion arises, you should not delay in seeking support from our expert business detectives in Switzerland. We document the offender’s actions comprehensively and in a legally admissible manner. For initial contact, please email kontakt@kurtz-detektei-schweiz.ch or call us.

Feet Up During Work Hours, Tinkering at Home, or Secretly Working for Competitors?

Besides expense fraud, time-card fraud is a widespread issue among field staff. During their years of work in business investigations, our Zurich private detectives have been able to confirm suspicions of payroll fraud in the majority of cases they handled. The individuals found guilty often showed little interest in their job, spending large parts of their workday on private activities or a hidden second job. From lazing about, family outings, attending public events (cinema, sports, concerts, etc.), and shopping trips, to DIY activities and undeclared work, everything seemed more important than fulfilling contractual obligations.

 

In such cases, prompt intervention is required before this behaviour becomes a pattern in the workforce. Yet which employer has time to follow a field employee to check whether they are performing their duties properly? Even if you did decide to do so, your observation would not be effective because:

 

1. The risk of being detected is very high,
2. You likely have little to no experience in personal surveillance, and
3. Any evidence you gather would probably not be admissible in court, as you are personally involved and the observations are therefore subjective.

 

In contrast, our trained business detectives from Zurich have the expertise to monitor the suspect discreetly and thoroughly. With legally admissible documentation, you can confront the offender with their actions and, if necessary, take legal action. We are happy to advise you non-bindingly on procedures for individual cases, for example via our contact form.

Beneficial Shock | Experiences from Our Detective Agency

In some cases of time-card fraud, it has been shown that the dishonest employee’s behaviour does not necessarily have to result in termination. Instead, clients often choose to confront the offender about their misconduct, make a note in the personnel file, and allow the employee to resume their work – with the warning that this is their final chance. Some of these employees took the opportunity seriously and subsequently worked diligently, leading to significant revenue increases. The information that our detective agency had been engaged spread rapidly throughout the workforce, sending a clear message that negligence and fraud would not be tolerated. Revenue increases quickly offset the costs of deploying our business investigators.

 

As you can see, there are many reasons to contact our Zurich detective agency. We are happy to accept your assignment: +41 44 552 2264.