Waitrose has anti-theft posters in staff areas warning employees they could lose their jobs or face prison if caught stealing.
The supermarket’s staff rooms now display notices urging workers to speak to managers if they are struggling financially.
The posters read: ‘The first time you steal could be the last time you steal. You will lose your job and may receive a fine or be imprisoned.’
Some employees said they had only recently spotted the signs, though Waitrose insists they have been in use for two years, according to reports.
Employee theft has been on the rise across the retail sector, with a 2023 study suggesting staff were responsible for up to 40 per cent of incidents.
Retail Economics, which carried out the research, said two thirds of business leaders believed the cost-of-living crisis had fuelled the increase.
The John Lewis Partnership, which owns Waitrose, has previously taken steps to ease pressure on staff.
It handed full-time workers a £500 cost-of-living payment in 2022 and offered free meals during the festive period in 2021 and 2022.
The scheme was dropped last year, but permanent staff can still apply for hardship grants and interest-free loans.
The Telegraph reports official figures last month showed inflation had risen to a 19-month high of 3.8 per cent.
Retailers are also contending with record shoplifting levels, with almost three thefts reported every minute and losses estimated at £2billion last year – the equivalent of £133 added to every household’s shopping bill.
The Daily Mail has approached Waitrose for comment.
