Can DD’s work do this?

[Rollergirl11]

DD (almost 18) works part time for one of the main supermarket chains. For the last few weeks store managers have been asking to check their bags on the way in to work to see if they have anything that they could have bought from the store and asking for receipts. Today DD was asked to empty her pockets to see if she had anything. She had a Carmex lip balm. The manager asked if she had a receipt for it. DD said no as it was hers and was used and half empty. Manager said he needed to initial it in case she was checked on the way out.

Can they do this?! I am pretty sure DD doesn’t have to empty her pockets on request or submit to a bag check and is under no obligation to prove that items on her person have or haven’t been purchased from the store. Does anyone know? This has only been occurring the last few weeks.

staff used to have regular bag checks when i worked at Gregg’s in the 90’s. In case we were stealing cheese and onion pasties.

Yes.

This is very very normal in sales / retail. Checking of bags and pockets is just standard practice.

Staff theft is a big problem at most retail businesses. This is pretty standard.

So does she have to provide receipts for everything she has on her? Like the lip balm?

Well yes, and I can understand them checking on the way out, but on the way in??

If it's something new and unused and sold in store the onus will be put on her to prove she's not stolen it. A half used up scraggy lip balm will now be marked up by her boss as having been seen and sanctioned, so that's job done.

In retail I used to take my purse with nil cash just cards in it, my lunch and absolutely nothing else. Cash theft was a huge issue so you couldn't have anything in your pockets, so they were always empty and an empty purse avoids any accusations.

Rhee checks on the way in also protect her ie cash in a wallet, an unopened product sold in this store - means it's a counted for when she leaves with them still in her possession or if she's seen drnking or eating something else on a break.

She needs to be seen to be squeaky clean.

They are checking on the way in in case they get checked on the way out apparently. 🥴

They've checked on the way in for her own sake so no one can go at the end of the day YOU HAVE STOLEN A CARMEX

Yes that makes sense

Manager said he needed to initial it in case she was checked on the way out.

So the check on the way in protects her from problems on the way out. Seems reasonable.

Other places wouldn't allow her to bring in anything personal at all and anything found during an exit search would then be presumed stolen.

Standard for one of the major retailers I know. Best to buy another stores branded stuff, eg boots lip balm, or don’t take stuff into work.

We used to have random bag searches - in and out - when I worked in Debenhams in 1995. Stock theft by staff (known as shrinkage in the industry) is a massive issue.

But very often she will be going out straight from work or staying at her boyfriends so will have an overnight bag/change of clothes/toiletries/make up on her.

That's why they check bags on the way in so she isn't accused of taking personal goods on her way out.
It's very common at retailers. I have worked at 2 major high street chains and both assert a right to search on the way in or out. In one of those stores they used to initial on the barcode of items taken in

Well, I'm afraid that's tough shit. This is what working in retail means whether she's a teenager or in her 60s. She'll need to find a way to make this work. Leave duplicates at the boyfriend's maybe.

That's not her employer's problem.

DH is a junior manager at one of the warehouses for a major food retailer. He carries out searches and has been himself been searched. They do regularly find stuff on the searched person and it's usually high value stuff like alcohol or meat.

Christ. I would find it almost impossible to tolerate working anywhere that assumed I was a thief.

Absolutely normal. And just not a big deal at all.

I work in a popular supermarket with a green logo (take a guess) and this is standard practice..although my store slacks on this!

Wow I had no idea this was a thing!

Wow! No one has the right to deface personal property in the name of security checking. Just because this has become
the norm, doesn’t make it right or acceptable. I wouldn’t want someone initialing my personal items every time I clocked in.

Well she will need to accept it will all be searched then

Simple solution then.... leave your items off premises. It's no biggie

Well I had no idea. She’s been working there for 18 months and has never been asked before. Just as well she’s leaving in 2 months then.