Working Hours, Expenses, and Billing Fraud in Düsseldorf – Surveillance by Detectives

“You have a very diligent employee!” Every employer likes to hear that. However, if out of 30 employees a single individual records massive overtime on their timesheet, a healthy level of suspicion is warranted. This does not necessarily mean there is no harmless explanation for the overtime: perhaps the employee wants to buy a new car or take a slightly more expensive holiday and therefore works extra hours. Yet every week, clients report employees they suspect of not performing the work they bill for – and in most cases, the employer’s suspicions are correct.

The corporate investigators of Kurtz Investigations Düsseldorf conduct discreet and evidence-based investigations around the suspected individual and document their actual activities during the billed working hours: +49 211 9874 0021.

Field Staff Work Within a Special Trust Relationship

The relationship between field staff, drivers, external contractors, and other company employees and the business is based on trust. The lack of supervision and relative independence of these groups sometimes leads some to charge private expenses to the company – car repairs for a daughter billed to the company car, trips to visit a grandmother, a date disguised as a business meal, and so on. It becomes even more serious if field staff fail to attend their appointments, perform no work, and still submit full claims. This constitutes fraud, more precisely billing fraud – a criminal offence and, in the long term, a significant detriment to the employer.

If you suspect that you have fallen victim to billing fraud, the corporate investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Düsseldorf can assist. We investigate around the suspected individual and, if necessary, conduct surveillance to provide you with certainty. Kurtz Investigations Düsseldorf looks forward to your call: +49 211 9874 0021.

Falsified Overtime – Case Example by Our Detectives

The following case concerns a medium-sized company operating in sanitary installation. The installers work alone or in teams in private households and on construction sites. The employee Mr Becker (name changed) skilfully remains at the work sites after his colleagues have finished, claiming that he still needs to complete or repair certain tasks. Once the colleagues have left, Mr Becker packs his things and goes home. He then submits a timesheet to the company owner showing several hours of overtime. This becomes less noticeable the more frequently the employee changes sites.

This working hours and billing fraud may not directly harm you as an employer, as you pay for the overtime but simultaneously bill it to your client. The immediate financial loss is thus passed on to the client without your knowledge. The client will likely question how so much time was spent on the assigned work. They may feel cheated, or at least dissatisfied with the cost–benefit ratio, and may not hire you again. Furthermore, a dissatisfied client is unlikely to recommend your company and may even share their dissatisfaction. Word of mouth remains the best advertising in many sectors; without it, companies often struggle.

In such cases, the corporate investigators of Kurtz Detective Agency Düsseldorf conduct comprehensive investigations, legally admissible in court. For a free consultation, you can contact our detectives by email at kontakt@kurtz-detektei-duesseldorf.de or by phone at +49 211 9874 0021.