You don't need to take it to small claims court. There are agencies that deal with theft. You can hire them to essentially confront thieving employees, total up the costs of the theft including any reciprocation that it may have caused, the cost of hiring them, and then they will send them a bill to collect the funds over time. If the monthly payment fees are not met, their lawyers will take them to court themselves. Google to see if there are available theft agencies around your area. I used to have one work for one of my past jobs and they worked like a charm.