In an anonymous survey conducted by Papermate as part of a new pen launch, 100% of office workers admitted to stealing a pen at work. As reported in The Atlantic survey by an accounting firm in 2013, 52% of the employees had stolen company property. 

Scissors, notebooks and sticky notes disappear on a regular basis, with employees remaining assured that the supply cabinet will be replenished as required. Data shows that theft of this nature has resulted in billions of dollars of expenses annually and has reduced 35% of inventory and 1.4% of total revenue.

According to M R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International, reasons for this include the increase in popularity of the online reselling business, coupled with dishonesty among employees. In addition, many employees work remotely which has resulted in the disappearance of numerous household items from the office. Employees have attested to stealing coffee from the office on the grounds of productivity while working from home.

Social media has helped paint a broader picture of workplace theft as anonymous employees have confessed to stealing everything from toilet paper to cleaning supplies and food. While small thefts may not seem so serious, they can snowball into much larger violations down the line according to David Welsh, a professor at Arizona State University. Starting from office stationery, it becomes easier to validate stealing much larger things in the future that can lead workers down a crooked path.

The issue can be dealt with in a number of ways, chief among which is instilling a sense of responsibility and ownership among the workers in the office. It is vital to remind workers of their duty as professionals and responsible adult members of society. This is also a good opportunity to remind them of any possible consequences that such offences might have, and prevent the problem from snowballing into something bigger. This helps establish a sense of authority and accountability which carries over into other aspects of professional life as well.