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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

The company I work for has a search policy

43 replies

saltire · 07/03/2008 09:45

It includes bag, locker and personal searches.
If you refuse, then it is classed as misconduct.
Anyway, the personal search involves taking shoes off, and lifting up soles of feet so searcher can see there is nothing there. Lifting trouser legs to show nothing hidden in socks, liftin top to show waistband of trousers, and flapping top to show nothing up there.
Anyway, every day this week I have had a personal search, and 2 locker searches. however, the personel searches are jsut doen in the office, which anyone can come or go into, and yesterday when i was there, one of my male colleagues walked past and was called in for his search, while I was still in there with the waistband of my trousers on show.
AIBU to think that the search shouldn't take place in an offcie where anyone can come or go, adn that female members of staff shouldn't have to be searched in front of males. I know I wasn't stripped down to my underwear or anything like that, but I still felt really uncomfortable. i was already annoyed that it was my 3rd search in a week

OP posts:
TidyTink · 07/03/2008 09:51

This is odd!!

What kind of company makes you do this every time you go to work???

TidyTink · 07/03/2008 09:51

YANBU think i would be mighty p**d off tbh

Original poster
saltire · 07/03/2008 09:52

Well I don't know if they search everybody every day, certainly the last one I had was just before Christmas. I did make a comment along the lines of "have I got a guilty face, this is the third time this week", but no one said anything

OP posts:
MissingMyHeels · 07/03/2008 09:54

Jaysus - do you work for MI5?

YANBU - I should think you can request it to be done in private, there is a fair amount of legislation around being searched.

MissingMyHeels · 07/03/2008 09:55

Actually I think it might only be police or bouncers that have to stick to the rules as your employer has a signed employment contract they can probably do what they like. Would certainly mention to HR though.

edam · 07/03/2008 09:56

Do you work for a jewellers or a bank or something? I used to work for a jewellers and when they made a whole load of people redundant, they searched them all as they left. Horrendous.

I'm sure there must be guidelines for this sort of thing - are you in a union? Have a look on the website of the Department for Business - when they were the DTI they had all the employment law up on the wb.

Original poster
saltire · 07/03/2008 10:09

There is no consistency though. They can ask you to open your locker and have a search, but you could have 6 carrier bags in it and htey won't ask to look in them. if they do a bag search, then they ask you to bring your bags out of your locker and down to the office. So really if you ahd something to hide you could be able to.,a nd the fact that 3 searches on me in a week, yet one of my colleagues has had 1 in 6 months!

OP posts:
moondog · 07/03/2008 10:11

What is your work?
I am intrigued?
Are people paid just to do the searches?

LaundryFairy · 07/03/2008 10:22

I think its important to find out how and why they decide who to search.

I used to work for a large retail store, and there was a button that we all had to push on the way out that would randomly decide whether or not that person would be searched. Everyone had to put up with it from the most senior person down. Are you being singled out unfairly?

Also, if a search was being done, you were asked if you wanted to be searched in private in the locker room by a female member of staff. I'd talk to HR if you're uncomfortable with your proceedure.

One other point, the search proceedure was written into our terms and conditions that we all agreed to on joining - does your company do that?

And unless you work in retail, or with valuable or secret squirrel type documents, you could ask why there is a search proceedure to begin with. Surely it's a bit over the top to stop people steeling paper clips...

SoupDragon · 07/03/2008 10:26

Why are you bothered about a male colleague seeing the waistband of your trousers?

Youcannotbeserious · 07/03/2008 10:27

Saltire,
It depends what you do. I worked in a job several years ago where security was paramount, and searches were part of the routine...

BUT, what you say sounds really odd....

In my job, we were only allowed one bag and it had to be see through. And, we wre weighed in and out of the high security area.

I don't think the searches are the problem, to me, it would seem to be the procedures which need to be looked at.

They shouldn't be so invasive IMHO...

My job consisted of parking a good way away (no cars allowed on site, because of security), two security checks and a weigh in. The money was good though!

Judy1234 · 07/03/2008 10:29

Also they mustn't pick on someone, eg someone they want to sack. However random searches are okay. It's what air ports do on shoes - not everyone takes them off but the terrorist wont' know if they'll be searched or not so doesn't take the risk etc.

Searches tend to be in organisations working with things like gold - I have worked with someone in the silver trade for example or some areas where theft is rife.

In terms of privacy it might be worth you checking what the company handbook says about personal searches and whether men can be present etc

madamez · 07/03/2008 10:30

I think you need a clear statement of the serach policy in writing, for one thing. I am pretty sure that body searches must be done in private by a member of your own gender if you ask, no matter what the circumstances. Your employer does not, after all, own you and cannot make unreasonable demands (ie if someone drew up an employment contract that expected staff to agree to being anally penetrated by senior management on a Friday afternoon at random, that wouldn't exactly stand up in court if refusal to sign meant job loss).

Youcannotbeserious · 07/03/2008 10:32

Madamez!!

that is NOT a nice thought (true though!)

littleducks · 07/03/2008 10:33

you dont work for b and q do you?

serenity · 07/03/2008 10:34

We did similar searches, and tbh unless someone had actually said they were uncomfortable with it I wouldn't have done them in private, none of it is particularly intimate imo. If you're not happy, tell them. I'm pretty sure you're entitled to request the search to be done out of public view. So, I don't think YABU to be upset - no one can help how they feel, but I don't think they ABU if you haven't told them how you feel.

jumpingbeans · 07/03/2008 10:36

Bloody hell, do you cut and weigh drugs!

AngharadGoldenhand · 07/03/2008 10:39

Your profile says you're a childminder?

Wisteria · 07/03/2008 10:44

Personal searches should be conducted in private, always.
I am intrigued as to what sort of company it is though!

WallOfSilence · 07/03/2008 10:52

Is OFSTED becoming tighter?

clam · 07/03/2008 10:58

This is totally outside my experience, but it does seem very odd if they are just searching you several times in one week. Are employees allowed to know why there might be such a variation in the routine? I know you asked casually if you had a guilty face, but it seems they sidestepped the question. Surely you have a right to know if they suspect you of something specific?

Emprexia · 07/03/2008 11:43

Tesco search like that... especially the checkout staff.. i think you're being a bit precious.

flowerybeanbag · 07/03/2008 11:45

Assuming the searches are justified and random, they are probably assuming no one would have a problem with a male member of staff seeing the waistband of their trousers. Have you actually asked if your searches could take place in a more private place?

Ruth02 · 07/03/2008 15:37

Please say what your job is its like 20 questions and im running out of ideas
last go, do you smuggle diamonds?

Whizzz · 07/03/2008 15:44

The company I used to work for had a policy whereby if they suspected something, the security guys could request to search your bag/locker - however they have no powers & you were quite at liberty to refuse without it being misconduct, they would then have to call the police who do have the powers to search. Even if you agree to a search - the security guys couldn't really rumage through your stuff.
Its like when you go to a concert & security ask to check your bag - they are not allowed to put their hands in & move stuff - only to look with your consent.
We had training in all of this from a former police officer & he made it quite clear that security personnel had NO powers when it came to searching people.