Job offer & strange employee handbook

[bonnefemme]

I have a job offer for a senior management position. This is relevant: it's for hybrid position with 2 days in the office position with a clear desk policy. HR has sent me the contract and employee handbook. There are a few clauses there which I have not seen before.

How would you feel about this clause?

"Personal searches
The Company may reasonably request to search your clothing, personal baggage, personal storage areas or vehicles. An authorised person must conduct any such search in the presence of an independent witness. Should you refuse such a request, the Company will require the appropriate authorities to conduct the search on behalf of the Company. Failure
to co-operate with the Company in this respect may be treated as gross misconduct."

I'm guessing its an American company?

DH worked for two and their T and C of employment were hilariously up the wall.

I assume it might be to do with stealing data etc as opposed to 'things'

We have clauses in our contacts (random drug testing for example) which I have never seen used for the type of job I do, but if there is a cause to be suspicious then it's covered in the contact so you can test them

Oh, if you’re neurodivergent then talk to them about this. You’ll need to be able to confirm, a diagnosis. Make them aware you have an issue with someone touching your things. They may be willing to put adjustments in for you- such as that you empty and handle your things under their close inspection.
in pratice, most companies don’t have staff to do random checks constantly. Typically most companies don’t do random searches at all, and ones that do like mine, only for a few days in the year involving maybe 1 hour of random selection of people leaving the site at home time. So, for instance in 40 year career of having signed to say I agreed to searches I was never searched even once

Had this at my last job. They had a button you pressed if it turned red they searched your locker. Also random pulled cars over on way out

Perfectly normal in all the contracts I have signed had to stop pocketing all the sugar sachets from the canteen mind

It's a normal feature of contracts. However, I've only ever had one job (in retail) that acted upon the Claude every single shift.

I had my bag and clothes searched every time I entered or left the building. Right down to my pants and socks.

Wouldn't tolerate it any more but it seemed normal at the time.

Yea this has been in mine. They're cautious about company data/research being stolen in places I've worked with this in contract.

I've never been searched.

I've worked in that environment. You get used to it.

It's normal

I'd never let my company search me. Never ever ever.

Dh used to provide computer support occasionally for a company that made the special paper for banknotes - everyone got searched, every day, even the visitors.

Manager in a large supermarket here..totally normal in my workplace..I have been randomly searched before...no problem whatsoever.

I've never had this in any of my contracts, and I can't say it's something I'd agree to. I don't think there's anything wrong with asking for clarification, as you've never seen it before.

I’ve had it in contracts but never seen it enacted

Amateurs. Surely if people are going to steal data, searching a person's 'clothing, personal baggage, personal storage areas or vehicles' is going to do little to stop people sneaking out USB sticks, unless 'personal storage areas' is a polite term for bodily cavities.

Most places I deal with are more interested in preventing people from bringing unauthorised items into the building, but the same principal applies. USB sticks are easy to sneak in and out of places by anyone minded to do so.

No it isn't. I've worked in tech for 30+ years and never been subject to it (except when working on a secure MOD site and even then it was never actually used)

I've worked in tech for decades and deal with very sensitive data and this is not common at all, if they are worried about someone stealing data via a usb the first thing they should hire is some capable network admins as it is pretty basic network security to prevent this kind of theft.

Absolutely - they can monitor your laptop but this would be an extra precaution. And rightly so if their IP is not physical.

Their policy sounds quite harsh compared to ours, though I agree with the PP about IP issues in a tech company. We have confidential information on our premises and ours says:

"Rights of search

1. Although we do not have the contractual right to carry out searches of employees and their property (including vehicles) whilst they are on our premises or business, we would ask all employees to assist us in this matter should we feel that such a search is necessary.

2. Where practicable, searches will be carried out in the presence of a colleague of your choice who is available on the premises at the time of the search. This will also apply at the time that any further questioning takes place.

3. We reserve the right to call in the police at any stage."

i.e. we can ask, but you can say no, and unless we want to call the police, there's actually nothing we can do about it!