Is this normal

[spoon19996]

To have a digital lock on an "office door". Their job is a roof designer. They work for a company from home, they are a regular worker and earn minimum wage. They do not get commission for a sale or get big jobs just the regular ones. Their is no extra profit In it for them. Their kids are 9 & 11, seems a bit old to go into rooms they aren't allowed to or touching things they aren't supposed to, but there's this big lock on the door.

Isn't this extreme?

Not extreme if you need to apply yourself to work and don't need any disturbance. I'm more intrigued at the job description 'roof designer'! Wtf is that, wouldn't that be an architect?

Could be a company stipulation if there's expensive equipment in there?

They are a roof designer on min wage?

I think it depends. They may know their DC are the sort who'll snoop, perhaps their job title is a cover for something more exciting, maybe they're up to something illicit, or they're obsessively private, they could be writing a novel and believe it to be the best thing since Lady Chatterly's Lover and want it hidden, it could be a secret sex dungeon. Millions of reasons, all valid.

DH has a lock on his office door. It's a throwback to the people who lived here previously (he was an accountant and they had many, many small children running about in various states of undress when we viewed the house). I don't think he uses it, but wouldn't be too put out if he did. He'd be more likely to lock himself inside, though, to escape the DC and their friends.

It could be for insurance purposes? Or gdpr compliance if they hold client data? Or maybe it just helps them get into “work mode”?

"Their kids are 9 & 11, seems a bit old to go into rooms they aren't allowed to"

Kids can go snooping at any age, especially if egged on by their mates.

He is bound to carry out data protection, by law.

It makes sense to have it locked.

Plans and designs are so very expensive so protecting them would be a priority. It is also governed under dpa so people's house plans etc are considered private. The person may well have been told to have security as part of the position

Do they have one job or two between them and do they get one lot of NMW or do they both get it?

Or would you like people to suggest that there is no such job as a roof designer or if there was it would attract far more than NMW, so the lock is obviously an indication that 'they' are obviously using the office for nefarious purposes?

I have a lock on my study, I don't use it that much, but it's there. I might trust my own kids, but not their friends for a start! I like my privacy (which is more to keep presents secrets from the family to be honest) and I don't like people "borrowing" my stuff without telling me because they needed a pen, a charger or a printer.

It depends on the dynamic, it doesn't sounds that horrendous to have a digital lock.

Are you talking about your spouse? I'd not accept any room in my house being locked to me. I wouldn't give a shit what the job was.

If I could have a workshop of my own it would definitely have a lock on it. Not because what I do is super secret, but because it would stop the "I only wanted to borrow a pair of scissors and I didn't mean to stick a dirty footprint on that £200-a-metre silk that you'd laid carefully on the floor to cut out" issues.

It's not my spouse it's his step dad I find him very strange, very odd to his wife and little girls much more than the normal person.

My kids dad had the same job (since his step dad put in a word for him) so I know exactly what he makes and does. I'd find his work about the house all the time and left in his car etc. He never mentioned strict policy on needing it locked up and said his dad never got the big jobs just the smaller ones like he did. They had people with degrees and years of experience doing them.

I think it's very odd.

My kids are 14 and 10 but still come into my office when I'm working.

My dad took a whole room in our house to be his 'office,' and kept it locked. He was a very odd man, controlling and aggressive, and a hoarder. My friends and I would always have a nosey around if he ever left it unlocked by mistake. Just piles and piles of newspaper. He was a paranoid men who also locked himself in his bedroom at night (my mum slept in another room). As a child I found it all very strange.
Probably completely irrelevant to your question, sorry, but that's what your OP made me think of.

Do you suspect him of having some kind of sex dungeon in there? Or maybe an extensive porn collection?
Perhaps he likes his things not to be touched? Or he is anxious about losing stuff? 9 and 11 year olds can definitely still mess up your stuff.
Does his wife have the access code? Why doesn't your husband invite himself in and find out.
And don't forget to let us know if it is something juicy.

No no one gets in and wouldn't dare ask without being shouted at