Blog Post

5 Ways to Protect Employees Who Handle Cash

  • By Admin
  • 21 Oct, 2019
Umbrella Protection Bag with Dollars and Stack of Coins — San Antonio, TX — The BANKER Money Counting Systems

Cash is still an integral part of most retail businesses. For the business, cash is often a less expensive form of payment, and for customers, it's a convenient way to pay. But having cash around may also cause some added risk for the employees who handle the money.

The better you protect the people who manage your cash for the business, the better you protect the business itself. To help any owner or manager improve in this area, here are a few things you can start doing today.

1. Remove Cash Regularly

Create a regular schedule to remove excess cash from the retail area. Generally, this should be either a standard time schedule - such as every hour during peak sales times - or done each time the cash on hand exceeds a certain threshold. Removing cash from public areas can be inconvenient, but it deters theft.

Remove cash from drawers as discreetly as possible and count it thoroughly once you've left he retail floor. If you do use a certain time schedule, be sure to vary the actual routine to avoid attracting attention. Vary the routes used, the exact timing, and the personnel who carry cash away.

2. Keep Minimal Amounts on Hand

How much do you really need to maintain in public areas of the business? This is up to each manager or owner, in consultation with those manning the registers, but it should be a minimum amount to continue doing business. Many retailers begin by keeping about $200 in each cash drawer and adjust as needed.

Any excess money left out is a threat to those around it. If you're not sure exactly how much is needed, provide a safe place out of the public eye where employees can count and check out additional amounts without having to go too far away. With this safety net available, you can keep less money in the registers without worry.

3. Reduce Actual Handling

Bills themselves go through a great deal while circulating through the general public. They are exposed to contaminants that range from viruses to dirt to actual illicit drugs.

Keep employees healthy by keeping potentially toxic bills and coins out of their hands as much as possible. Use rubber gloves when counting cash manually. Or, avoid manual counting by opting for an automatic cash counter whenever possible.

4. Don't Advertise Cash

When your employees take cash to the bank or to another location for deposit, how do they physically carry it? Rather than use a cash pouch, such as is often provided by the bank, use an inconspicuous holder like a zipped portfolio or cross-body purse.

Mark out routes for employees to walk that avoid dark areas and places that are not well-trafficked. Even if the bank is within walking distance, consider driving there for safety if possible. And never send an employee by themselves when carrying cash.

5. Keep Everything Locked

Small time theft is a crime of convenience, so make your cash storage inconvenient. Have employees develop the habit of securing their cash drawer as soon as each transaction is completed rather than leaving it open while they bag up items or chat with customers. Use a locked room for the counting of actual bills. And don't allow just one employee to hold all the keys, which could make them a target.  

While these additional security measures will be somewhat inconvenient for employees, stress the benefits for everyone's safety. The less you advertise that there is cash to be had and the better you secure it at all times, the less employees face the risk of crime.

At The Banker Money Counting Systems, we know the importance of safety and security around cash. Visit us today to learn more about products that can help your company manage money and protect employees on the front lines.


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Right now, in your convenience store, you and your employees might count and handle money the oldfashioned way. A currency counter might not seem like a necessary investment, but it's worth the cost. These are a few reasons why these devices are particularly useful in convenience stores.

1. Detect Fake Bills

Because of the sheer number of transactions that are often done in a convenience store throughout the day and because of how fast these transactions usually happen, convenience stores can be at more of a risk of receiving counterfeit bills than many other businesses.

If employees use a currency counter when accepting larger amounts of money, they can quickly check to make sure that the bills they are being given are real.

Even if money has already been accepted by employees and is being counted at the end of the day, the counterfeit detector on your currency counter machine can help you catch fakes so you'll avoid taking them to the bank or keeping them in circulation.

2. Save Your Employees Time

Your employees probably have a lot of responsibilities in your convenience store. Having to spend a lot of time counting money takes away from the other things that they may need to be doing. If you have a currency counter that they can use, employees can make quick work of counting money so that they can quickly move on to the next task.

3. Get Money Put Away Quickly

Convenience stores are at a great risk of being robbed, so taking steps to help prevent theft is important. One of the key things that you can do is to keep a limited amount of money in your cash register drawers. Having employees put money in the safe once they accumulate a certain amount helps decrease the risk of theft, and if theft does occur, it helps minimize the loss.

If employees have to count money by hand each time that they put it in the safe, the money will be left out for longer. Also, robbery may be more tempting if employees are seen visibly counting large sums of money in the store.

With a currency counter, employees can get money counted and put away very quickly and discreetly. This helps keep both employees and the money in your store safe.

4. Prevent Human Errors

Your employees are probably pretty adept at counting money. They might do it all day long when they accept money from customers. This doesn't mean that they can't make a mistake, though, especially if they're in a hurry. Wet bills or brand-new, crisp bills can easily get stuck together, making it easy for a person to make a mistake, for example.

Currency counting machines have high accuracy rates, though. If your employees always use a currency counter when counting money, they will help decrease the chances of a mistake being made.

5. Avoid Spreading Germs

It's no secret that money is often covered in germs. Your convenience store employees obviously aren't going to be able to avoid coming in contact with money, but you should still minimize the spreading of germs.

After all, your employees might prepare hot dogs or other foods for your customers, and you don't want them to spread germs that can make someone sick. You don't want your employees to get sick either.

With a currency counter, you can help minimize how much physical contact your employees have to have with money.

A currency counter is a great investment for any convenience store, whether it's a small, rural convenience store or a large truck stop on a major interstate. Contact us  at The Banker Money Counting Systems to find out more about our currency counting systems and how they can improve your convenience store.
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