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.

I worked in Retail in the late 90s and this was done then.

Yes, this.

Sorry if I've missed this being asked and answered - is this happening on the clock OP?

Bag checks are considered reasonable in the eyes of the law, but should be done on the employer's time, not hers.

They are not assuming you are a thief. They are assuming some employees could potentially be thieves. And they are right aren't they

On the way in?
Never. And it's not a policy at my work place.
On the way out. Yes.
It's something you sign up to when you take the contact on.

Used to work in a clothes shop, we always had bags checked on way out! Only sold clothes so much easier, obviously lip balm couldn't have come from the shop. Your DD will have to lump it or leave her change of clothes or whatever elsewhere so isn't checked.

Theft these days from retail is rife, both staff and so called customers.
Most people don't hear or see evidence of this but it's a huge problem, searches are one way of preventing theft and therefore reducing overall costs of the items we buy.
I've known about many staff thefts, from shop assistants up to store managers, most of which is never recouped.
If no-ones checked then they will carry on which means increasing the cost for all. Hardly fair is it that a few rouge staff are rinsing the stores dry.

Completely different scenario. It doesn't compare.
Searches at airports protect me and everyone else, so I have no objection whatsoever.
Being searched going into a shop doesn't ptotect me.

Yes very normal. If you bring anything into work that can be bought in the shop you have to take it to a manager and they initial the bar code.
And if you buy something during your shift you take the item and the receipt to a manager and they will sign the receipt and tape the receipt to the item.

I had my bag checked in Boots in the late 80s. People stole from them.

Get over yourself! Stop being so entitled. People do steal from employers and bag checks are the way to keep everyone safe from false accusations.

Having worked in retail when still at school and through uni this is totally normal.

I would just take bare minimal into work - basically just car keys and my phone. Bags etc were left in the boot of the car. If I had to have my purse etc I would just keep £10 and cards. Change etc left at home / in the car.

Luckily food items weren't an issue as I worked with clothes/shoes.

Well they are worth pinching.🥮👨‍🍳

no - it is the same thing. there are terrorists so everyone is checked to make sure nobody is trying to smuggle explosives onto a plane to keep everyone safe. That in no way supposes they think everyone is a terrorist

In store theft - by staff and customers - is a HUGE thing. So everyone is checked, or there are random checks which in no way means they think everyone is stealing. Checks on the way in are for the benefit of the employee. And frankly? when i go in a shop with a bag with things in? i have no problem if an employee asks to look in it, and no problem on the way out if I'm randomly selected to show my receipts. Because some people steal. I know i don't so i dgaf.

We used to have random searches as above when I worked for a theme park!

when people steal, it puts the prices up for everyone. So when you say ‘it doesn’t affect me’ well maybe not if you work in Louis Vuitton and would never buy anything from there but if you worked in Tescos and did your food shopping there then yes it would affect you.

As others have said it pretty standard practice across retail. When I worked for big w years ago we had to be searched everytime we left the building even just for a quick cig break.

If she has nothing to hide then she has nothing to worry about. Sounds like the search on the way in is for her benefit. It means they can see what she has brought in is hers and won't be accused of stealing on her way out.

I had a Christmas job once at Tesco twenty odd years ago. At our induction we were told receipts should be kept for everything sold by the store, anyone handling cash could be asked to turn their collar up and take their shoes and socks off, random bags searches for others. I think they said they sack 20% of staff recruited for theft.

I think it’s a bit disturbing how everyone thinks this invasion of privacy is so ok.

Put bags in lockers and put security (alarms) on the locker rooms.

I had a part-time job in River Island in the 90s. Rubbish bags used in the store were clear plastic bags so staff couldn't dump bags of clothes out with the rubbish to collect later.
Bags checked on the way out every day. One day we were asked to remove our clothes down to underwear so they could check staff weren't wearing stolen items of clothes out of the shop.

@Brefugee
The difference is the airport searches benefit me, the person being searched, directly by keeping me safe. I like feeling safer.

The shop searches benefit the store primarily. Maybe also their customers by keeping prices down. But they don't benefit the person who's being searched.

Also there's a difference between experiencing security on the occasional flight and being searched twice a day on arriving at and leaving work. The latter is more intrusive. Pp describes being asked to strip to her underwear? No way would I be happy about that!! It's not okay imho.

He has the right to search not to deface her property.

Regarding checks on my receipts as a customer - every inch of the shop has cctv coverage. If they suspect me of theft, they can go check their cctv and compare it to their till records.

@mrsdineen2 which is unbelievably labour intensive and requires a CCTV operator with a licence plus an SIA accredited security guard or two, so it's also expensive.

I swear the hand wringing in this thread is unreal. It is a very normal thing to do to protecting a company from theft.

Staff working in warehouses are often subject to the same clauses in their contracts. Even so, I once worked a theft and handling stolen goods investigation worth tens and tens of thousands - staff were hiding very high value beauty products (ie Creme De La Mer) in the warehouse then sneaking them out at the end of a shift. They were selling them on Ebay.

I hope none of you need to visit a prison or courtroom because you sure as hell get searched on the way in 😂. In fact it's also a condition of entry to nightclubs, theatre shows and concerts these days.

In fact it's also a condition of entry to nightclubs, theatre shows and concerts these days

Not one I've attended

@Whatnonsenseisthisnow you've never seen anyone getting searched in entering these places? Never been asked to show what's in your bag?

That's very strange given the climate of high security this last twenty years or more.... I was searching people at nightclubs in the early 2000s in my capacity as security. We were searched / bags checked going to see Bill Bailey this week!