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Staff Security

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Ok so I'm after some information regarding employment rights that relate to staff and how they are searched. To be more specific I'm wanting to know in detail information regarding the retail sector.

I ask for the reason that in my current place of work, if you have finished a shift whilst the store is open you are taken down to the front of the shop and searched, made to take your jacket off and hand it to the senior member of staff whilst you then frisk yourself show them around your ankles, lift up your work shirt, spin yourself around completely and today, squat.

Now i find this bang out of order and i can't believe for a second that it's right either. Are you telling me that it's ok to search staff in this manner IN FRONT OF CUSTOMERS but when a thief is caught they are taken up to the staff area, next the office, where our valuables are kept and they are searched away from the public ? I don't bloody well think that's right. Just what kind of image must that give off to the public who are both passing and coming in to shop. I know in my mind exactly what kind of image it portrays.

Also, a couple of night's ago whilst leaving via the back entrance whilst we were searched the assistant manager was looking through people's wallets. Surely that can't be right, i suppose unless you give them permission, although it's a bit late to say no when they already have your wallet open THEN say " you don't mind this do you " in a sharp way as if to say " your not hiding anything are you !? "

I've never come across any relevant information when I've looked on ACAS or anywhere similar before but it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. I might have just missed it.

Thanks in advance : )

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Where on earth do you work?

    I'm not sure but I'd guess that that's an invasion of your privacy, especially doing it in front of customers. Is this standard policy across all stores or just your one?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    s this standard policy across all stores or just your one?

    Knowing this company, I'll say standard but don't take my word for it.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bloody hell! Thats a tad extreme, where do you work a diamond shop? I used to work at a supermarket and although we were supposed to have the odd bag search i was there 5 years and was not searched once. Are you with a union by any chance?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    satehen wrote:
    Are you with a union by any chance?

    I'm not but i want to be, just have no idea how do go about it or anything about it really.

    I work in a Sports Shop of all place's !
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We get a random bag and pocket seach and thats it. I would be really pissed off with being frisked let alone in front of a customer.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    edn1 wrote:
    I'm not but i want to be, just have no idea how do go about it or anything about it really.

    I work in a Sports Shop of all place's !

    USDAW is the largest union for shop workers, heres the link.
    http://www.usdaw.org.uk/
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    we get random locker/bag/person searches. normally they're just to check in your pockets but they're allowed to look in our cars too.

    i know the drill so i pull my pockets inside out and take my shoes off and turn them upside down. easy!

    eta: but it's always been in a room away from everyone and i'm asked if i want any legal representation.
  • littlemissylittlemissy Posts: 9,972 Supreme Poster
    When I worked in retail, we were told that it was standard practice to have our bags / person searched when leaving the store to make sure we weren't stealing anything. Sheffield branch didn't ever do this while I was there but a couple of other branches did.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    What are they searching for?

    For example, if they are searching for people nicking items of clothing, etc. it's completely unreasonable to look through people's wallets. In fact, I'd say it's generally unreasonable to search wallets unless they are looking for cash, but they shouldn't have to do that because it should be obvious from cashing-up if money is going missing.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The searching of our wallets and the female member of staff' purses, last sunday the tills were down, so yeah you can understand having them searched, but we all said to each other, how could they prove if money in someones pocket is stolen of their own. I for one ALWAYS keep change in my pocket's so what do you do. I personally do not go near the cashdesk's and i refuse to serve on then due to money issues with the tills.

    Mist, i think daily it's just a general search. It's just the last week or so they've suddenly decided that it's more important that it has been for the past 10 months. By that i just mean ive been their 10 months and NOW they decide that security is important.

    I have said to a few workmates that i disagree with being searched on the shop floor in front of customers to which their responce has been " You might get searched upstairs then when your heading out the store you might steal something ". Sure, it is possible, but then what's to stop a member of managemtn walking you out of the shop after being searched ? .. Nothing at all IMHO. However the fact remains that we shouldnt be getting searched in this manner in front of customer's. Again i use the thief thing as an example of just how unfair & wrong this is.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    We had a random search policy in a supermarket i worked in. Although i was one of the lucky ones who didn't ever get stopped.

    I did feel really bad for people who were taken to be searched as they looked mortified.

    I think it is sooooo out of order to be searched infront of customers, I'm never going to work in a sports shop.

    Unfortunately i don't know about any laws on this though :mad:
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I worked at Sainsbury's we had random checks done by security guards of what we had on us when working.

    At Next it was at the end of every single shift by the managers. It included all your stuff inc handbags etc.

    Not in front of customers though.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    You know another thing i forgot to add was that we have 3 male members of management and one female full time senior, she's not management but she's sort if like it. Male staff check out female staff though don't physically touch them and the female senior searches out male members of staff again not touching them.

    What's the written rule of that ?
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    either question it with your union or management.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    If they aren't actually searching, just asking you to turn out pockets etc then gender is unlikely to matter. It's only an issue if you're being patted down or having to remove clothing (or both).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    otter wrote:
    either question it with your union or management.

    Not with any union. Trying to talk to management is equivalent to going around in circles.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Put a customer comment in saying how ridiculous it looks searching their staff on the shop floor!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    .
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    The last job i had, which was a while ago and was a manager, we were told that in no uncertain terms that we were not allowed to touch an employee at all. We could ask themn to turn out their pockets, handbag, bags etc but we weren't allowed to to touch them or their personal property. I think the security staff are exceeding things dramatically and i'd complain.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    At my work we only get bag searches at the end of the night and that usually never happens. The security guards just want to get home :p During the day we can walk in and out and no one bothers.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    edn1 wrote:
    You know another thing i forgot to add was that we have 3 male members of management and one female full time senior, she's not management but she's sort if like it. Male staff check out female staff though don't physically touch them and the female senior searches out male members of staff again not touching them.

    What's the written rule of that ?
    Not sure what the rules are but at Next it happened all the time. I personally found it quite embarassing having male managers going through my handbag and seeing my tampons etc and I'm sure many others felt the same.
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