I've lost the only key...

[Inrealtroublenow]

To the laptop cabinet in the office. All our laptops are stored in there. Feel sick at having to admit that to boss tomorrow. Looked everywhere in office/ home/ coat/ bag. I was the only one in yesterday and today so it's definitely me and not anyone else. Was told when I started (relatively recently) to protect key with my life because it's the only copy.

I've texted him now because his phone is going straight to voice mail.

I rushed out of office before meetings because one of the kids needed to be collected from school. I dropped him off at my mums before going back to work. I'm going to go and check my mum's house now even though I only dropped DS off at doorstep.

@Inrealtroublenow

I'm just wondering if it's something I could lose my job for. My boss seems lovely. It's just such a stupid mistake.

If they try to sack you because of this you would win at a tribunal... Where are the other keys that the cabinet WOULD have come with?

Honestly it’s not a big deal and worst case, everyone will thank you for a nice few hours off in the morning! Have you asked your clients if they have seen it?

Talk us through the timeline of yesterday and today. When did you last definitely use the key? Did you lock your laptop up as normal yesterday and get it out of the cabinet this morning?

Ds's coat hood? School bag?
Car seat down the folds?
Under the seats?
Door pockets?

Down your bra? I sometimes put small important things there.

Then find them stuck to my boob later when I take my bra off

That’s annoying but their risk, and they knew that, so please don’t worry about your job. It isn’t lost irrecoverably, and there are a limited number of places it could be. Think through the process of locking it, what you did, what you normally do. Visualise it and say it out loud.

Also check linings of coats, bags etc in case it’s slipped down. Does it have a big key ring ?

@Moltenpink

Honestly it’s not a big deal and worst case, everyone will thank you for a nice few hours off in the morning! Have you asked your clients if they have seen it?

Really?

While I sympathise with the OP I wouldn't thank anyone who was responsible for twiddling my thumbs at work for a few hours. What kind of job do you do? Does the work magicaly do itself if you can't get it done in the day? Do customers have a laugh if they can't be helped because the computers are down. Do you have any jobs going

And also get someone else to check everywhere you’ve already checked. My OH lost something quite big recently, and found it in a pocket he had already checked

Just tell the boss. They might say they have moved the key to a new place or something.
It's work, people lose / damage / wear stuff out. Other people have previously lost the keys if there is only one left.

Did you leave the key on the hook and it's gone? Then it wasn't you that lost it anyway. It sounds a bonkers system!

Tell the boss now so they can make their own decision as to what to do next.

I locked laptop away last night. This morning I got laptop out but then school called about DS so I was rushing around like a crazy person. I can't remember but must have locked my laptop away again before I went to the school because the cabinet is now locked. The key is missing though. I rushed straight from office to school and then to my mums house and back to office. I had client meetings then all morning until after 1pm. When I went to get laptop to do my write ups I realised key was nowhere to be seen. To be honest it could be anywhere. It's nowhere sensible though!
I have checked car, bag, coat, pockets, seat in work, meeting room, all floor and surfaces in work, my mum has checked driveway/ hallway at her house. I've checked at home even though I didn't come back here. It's honestly vanished

Have you asked the school whether a key has been handed in?

Sounds mad but have you checked your coat pockets?

OP you might have left the key in the cabinet and someone else could've locked it. Don't panic. Anyone might have it.

Fivetoomany
Is it stuck to your boob

Haha that made me laugh

OP if you had the key in your hand now where would you put it down? I sometimes think about that when I am looking for things.

Usually people do things by habit, try and calmly recreate what you did and it might come to you.

Could it have fallen out at the school? Does it have a key ring, a key on its own dropped in a car could take a bit of finding but worth looking again

What do you normally do with the key after you lock the cabinet?

Other places: coat lining, re-check coat pockets and handbag... fridge or cupboards(!). Where was the client meeting? A meeting room? And could the client have accidentally picked up the key?

They've only got one key because someone else in the past has just the other one. Locks never come with just one key. Don't be too hard on yourself op these things happen.

In your purse or phone case?

@Fivetoomany

Down your bra? I sometimes put small important things there.

Then find them stuck to my boob later when I take my bra off

I've done this before too, had been driving myself crazy looking for a key all afternoon, gave up and then found it stuck to my boob when I got undressed in the evening! It's my go to place when I don't have pockets so check your bra op!

So you locked the cabinet took the key out & instead of hanging it up did what?

Did you go to the kitchen/loo & leave it there?

Having only one copy of the key is just irresponsible. They could have had a copy made, or several copies made.

Odds are that it’s not that sophisticated of a lock. It probably won’t need to be broken to be opened. You might even have a hobbiest on staff who could pop it open to get people working while a permanent solution is found.

Imagine locking the cabinet. What would you instinctively do with the key?

Also check the floor around all the toilets you've used, in case it's fallen out of a pocket there.

Ask anyone who could have picked it up - cleaners, school etc. Have you checked the office and school where you parked your car?