Unless you work in retail or hospitality, December is a time when a lot of businesses will take their foot off the pedal a little, whether they intend to or not. Staff are booking more holiday time, clients are also going a little quieter, and so naturally there’s just a little less that gets done around the holiday season.
But that doesn’t apply to every business, and for some it’ll be a really critical time. Or it could be that because it’s quieter, you’ve got the extra hours to take care of some things which have been niggling you as a business owner for a little while, but you’ve not got round to yet.
With that in mind, here are some of the ways that you might want to employ a private detective around the Christmas period.
Unauthorised absence
Sickness and absence leave goes up in December – that’s a fact, because it’s just as winter is starting and people become more susceptible to colds and the flu. Plus throw a global pandemic with new variants into the mix and you’re guaranteed to have more genuine illnesses.
However you’ll also have people who claim to be ill who aren’t. There’s a lot of opportunities for fun in December on the build-up to Christmas, whether it’s family get-togethers, drinks with friends or just shopping for presents. None of which are a valid excuse for skipping work, especially if it’s a business-critical time for your organisation.
If you have a serial offender who you just can’t afford to have off, or you’ve got someone who has been through multiple disciplinaries and you need evidence they’re pulling a sicky, then a private investigator can help.
We can discreetly offer surveillance and tracking to find out what is really happening. Genuine illness? The person need never know they were investigated. But unauthorised absence without a good reason, and you’ve got the evidence you need to be able to take whatever action is necessary.
Trace debtors
While many businesses will run their financial year from April to March, some still work to the calendar year for making up their books, while others just see December as a good time to make sure all their funds are in order and that as many invoices have been paid as possible. If it’s a quieter time then why not chase up those businesses that owe you money, and get the books straight before the new year?
The problem is when businesses aren’t replying to emails or are outright evading your contact. That’s when a private investigator can help. They can verify whether a business still exists or has moved, and get you up-to-date details so that you can get in touch with them and get the money you’re owed.
Of course, this won’t always be the most cost-effective solution, and so you need to work with a private investigator you can trust, like our team at EJM Investigations. We’ll always discuss your situation with you upfront, and we won’t offer you services that aren’t good value – there’s no point in chasing a low debt if you’re only going to incur costs that wipe out the benefit.
Surveillance
There are a number of reasons you might need to consider some extra surveillance support around Christmas.
Firstly, you might suspect that someone is moonlighting. A lot of people struggle financially on the run up to Christmas, and if they’ve got the opportunity to go and secretly work an extra job when their contract bars them from it, or even working for a competitor behind your back, you need to know.
Sometimes there might be theft issues. Someone might be stealing from your company because they think it’s a quieter time, and there’s less chance of them getting caught. Hiring a private investigator to carry out surveillance at your business could identify who’s behind any regular thefts and put an end to their activity.
If you need any help with surveillance, then our experienced team can help. We’ll work with you to make sure we only provide the service you need, working to your own budget.
Background checks
Because businesses do tend to slow down around Christmas, it’s unlikely that you’ll carry out any major mergers or sign-up new clients the closer you get to the big day, with deals and agreements often put off until the New Year.
Which means, if you’ve got any reservations about someone or a business you’re planning to work with, this could be the window of opportunity you need to hire a PI to carry out some background checks.
The time that Christmas buys you could be just what you need to identify any issues or discrepancies in the information a prospective director or client business has provided you, and a good PI can work quickly to carry out those checks. It might be that everything’s fine, but for many small business owners that could be just the peace of mind you need to be able to properly relax and enjoy your own time off when it comes.
In summary
Hiring a private investigator isn’t right for every business, but there are many ways beyond the obvious that a PI could potentially help your company, especially on the run up to the Christmas season.
Working with a reputable private investigation firm like ourselves at EJM Investigations means that you don’t get taken for a ride – instead, we’ll look at what information you need, and we’ll discuss your options in advance with you to find a solution that is likely to achieve success for the least cost.
If you think there’s anything we could do to help your business then don’t hesitate to give us a call on 01772 334700 and we can quickly get in touch to arrange a meeting.
All that remains is to wish you and your team a very Merry Christmas from us here at EJM Investigations.