Working with Tight A**E Clients / Companies

[NRM_Oz]

Ok I have just heard some classics come through my emails about friends and colleagues who are having difficulties with cheap clients / employers. Some of my classics include:

1. Company who issued a shirt to my friend with a 6 inch tear down the back telling him to wear a jumper as it was winter.

2. Same company who refused me a uniform jacket citing "it's spring in 8 weeks". I refused a night shift as I had no uniform jacket and magically 1 appeared at the site for me to use that night.

3. Client who refused to buy milk, coffee, tea, or sugar for their staff.

4. Same company who limited toilet paper rolls to a set number each week.

5. Client who spent $2.5k on a Saeco coffee machine, $500 on a milk chiller but refused to spend $25/ week on milk for security staff working 24/7.

6. Company who used light globes from offices not used for the week.

7. Retailer who refused to provide milk for their staff but used some milk whitener whilst management enjoy all styles of milk

8. Retailer NLPM who was observed getting woods screws from a rubbish pile to save $$ (not me !!).

9. Client with a massive 300 space carpark used by 10 cars who attempted to charge security staff to park 4 cars per day.

10. Company who directed night security staff to clean executive bathrooms as they were not busy at night in their eyes.

So what have been your weird experiences ?

[EMTGuard]

3. Client who refused to buy milk, coffee, tea, or sugar for their staff.
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5. Client who spent $2.5k on a Saeco coffee machine, $500 on a milk chiller but refused to spend $25/ week on milk for security staff working 24/7.
<snip>
7. Retailer who refused to provide milk for their staff but used some milk whitener whilst management enjoy all styles of milk
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You've mentioned the milk thing before. What's up with that? I've never been provided with coffee, milk or any other food items. If someone wants coffee, sugar or creamer they bring it themselves. As some have seen in my thread about cooking at work, I prepare some nice dishes and everything from the salt and pepper to the mayonnaise on my burger is brought from home. You should be happy they provided you with the coffee machine. One of the Scale operators in our building bought the coffee maker we use.

[NRM_Oz]

It is in the contract that S/O's were to be provided with facilities including tea and coffee supplies - its just expected. With my company, all facilities and security staff are provided with free meals, supplies and cold drinks everyday as they are often on shorter breaks and cannot always leave for meals (12 hour shifts). It is appreciated as the wages are nothing to write home about and the contract company has happy and cooperative staff.

The coffee machine was for the use of the office snobs and clients as it was prominently displayed for all to see, but no1 from security was permitted to even look at it without permission. This place was so worried about prestige that only white paper cups were used by security staff to keep things universal and ensure that they were disposed of immediately not left on display. 12 months later, there dead money on prestige had them shut shop losing millions in office refurbishment.

[HotelSecurity]

The mall who cut it's staff from 3 per shift down to 1, moved the administration a few miles away & left the sole guard with a walkie-talkie with no one to talk to. They told him to keep carrying it because it looked like he had back-up.

[N. A. Corbier]

That is the strangest thing I have ever heard of. I've never seen a contract where the security company requires a client to expend money (this is a hidden cost modifier) on providing them with food or drink.

If there is a breakroom with coffee facilities, then I can see the guard force being allowed to use it (if they are authorized to be in there in the first place), but actually putting into the contract:

- Client agrees to provide contractors tea and coffee service.
- Client agrees that the cost of providing the contractors tea and coffee service shall fall onto the Client.
- Client agrees to provide contractors with one / two / three meals during shift.
- Client agrees that the cost of providing the contractors meals shall fall onto the Client.

Now, I've worked posts where you're basically allowed to eat anything in the kitchen, but it was never required of the client to provide the guard with food.

[junkyarddog]

S/O's working day and evening shifts at our customers main corporate complex are lucky enough to have food dropped off for them from the cafeteria, provided with milk, coffee and creamer, but this is considered a huge bonus that we are sincerely grateful for. "Taking care of our guards".

But it is absolutely not expected, never even asked for. As far as stuff like this "being in the contract"...never heard of that. We gas the company vehicles at the customers pumps, the customers transportation division does all of the repairs on the vehicles and I imagine feeding the guards could be worked in there too. But it seems really unusual.

[junkyarddog]

The mall who cut it's staff from 3 per shift down to 1, moved the administration a few miles away & left the sole guard with a walkie-talkie with no one to talk to. They told him to keep carrying it because it looked like he had back-up.

lol.....I wonder if the guy ever pretended to talk on it.

[NRM_Oz]

NA - the facilities includes things such as tea and coffee provided, access to running water (questionable on some remote sites but we had 5 gallon bottles of water) and access to the pee troughs (trees if necessary).

A number of companies provide meals for staff and this just flows on include support staff as well. During Y2k and Olympics we worked some killer hours 100+ hours some weeks so for the company, it was petty cash to the loss of productivity for the teams to just stop work to get a meal. Security staff are all paid a crib meal break here (20 mins on the job) and it goes to 2 x 20 mins if you work 12 hours (paid). We are not obliged to provide meals for our security staff but with short notice changes knowing a meal can be provided to the security staff if are delayed in having a breaks smooths things over.

Due to poor industry rates, these people do not earn top dollar and it is a little perk that may save them $20.00 a day or $100.00 over a week, plus train travel - is a day's pay a week they lose in expenses otherwise. As I said before, it is a little perk enjoyed and appreciated but after awhile you can only eat so much lasagne, roast vegetables, roast lamb, cow, and curries before you go looking elsewhere for lunch.

[gcmc security part 2]

lol.....I wonder if the guy ever pretended to talk on it.

Heck I've done that all the time, especially when you want someone to leave and the won't.

A quick little, "Central, 206....Can you get me another unit and PD enroute here for a trespass?"

Generally gets them moving, muttering under their breath, but moving.

[NRM_Oz]

At 1 retailer I forgot about the spare radio on my belt to be recharged and being alone with only CCTV operator as company, I was asked to follow to 2youths who had fragrance testers in their hands. So I decided to make phantom calls for all LP staff to be ready for the arrest outside which got these kids to dump 5 almost full bottles in the underwear department. All I heard from the CCTV Op was laughing as he radioed me to tell me where they dumped the items. Working solo I have carried a radio even if the person is 35 miles away - means I do have contact - contact with static probably.

[Guest]

Wow

I have to agree with EMTGuard. I wish I worked for a site that provided more than a place to work for the officers. We have never been provided with anything and are usually using porta-jons or going to the gas station to use the can...Certainly no food, coffee, etc. provided...

[Mr. Chaple]

My current post is the first I have had where they even provide basic office supplies (pens, paper, paper-clips, etc). Everywhere else I have worked the guards had to provide for the supplies, even if they were for public use.

[EMTGuard]

During Y2k and Olympics we worked some killer hours 100+ hours some weeks so for the company, it was petty cash to the loss of productivity for the teams to just stop work to get a meal. Security staff are all paid a crib meal break here (20 mins on the job) and it goes to 2 x 20 mins if you work 12 hours (paid).

Paid breaks?!? I work 12 hour shifts everytime I go to work. Sometimes longer. During the recent 2 week turn around some of us were pulling 15 hours a day for 2 weeks straight. None of us gets a lunch break. You grab a meal when you find time just like bathroom breaks. If they stick me up on the levee next to the dock to watch a ship being loaded and I need to run to the bathroom or heat up my dinner I radio for the patrol officer to swap out with me for a few minutes. While the patrol SO holds my post, I drive the patrol vehicle to the security office, toss my meal in the microwave and use the toilet while it's heating. The Microwave "Dings", I wash my hands and grab my food and head back to the patrol vehicle with it on the seat and get back on my post. Total time away is about 10 minutes.
If I'm pulling a 12 or 13 hour shift in the security office I eat at the desk while answering phones, monitoring cameras and handeling paperwork. If I have to go to the toilet I will try to go when my partner is not partoling. If I can't wait I take a portable radio and a cordless phone with me. Nothing like sitting on the commode answering the phone and transfering calls. "I'm sorry, maam, what extension did you want? I couldn't hear you over the noise of the toilet flushing."

[HotelSecurity]

Paid breaks?!? I work 12 hour shifts everytime I go to work. Sometimes longer. During the recent 2 week turn around some of us were pulling 15 hours a day for 2 weeks straight. None of us gets a lunch break. You grab a meal when you find time just like bathroom breaks. If they stick me up on the levee next to the dock to watch a ship being loaded and I need to run to the bathroom or heat up my dinner I radio for the patrol officer to swap out with me for a few minutes. While the patrol SO holds my post, I drive the patrol vehicle to the security office, toss my meal in the microwave and use the toilet while it's heating. The Microwave "Dings", I wash my hands and grab my food and head back to the patrol vehicle with it on the seat and get back on my post. Total time away is about 10 minutes.
If I'm pulling a 12 or 13 hour shift in the security office I eat at the desk while answering phones, monitoring cameras and handeling paperwork. If I have to go to the toilet I will try to go when my partner is not partoling. If I can't wait I take a portable radio and a cordless phone with me. Nothing like sitting on the commode answering the phone and transfering calls. "I'm sorry, maam, what extension did you want? I couldn't hear you over the noise of the toilet flushing."

Reminds me of the cruel tricks some employees used to do to me when I worked at my first hotel. We had pagers, not walkie-talkies. (They were very expensive & big in those days). There were House Phones all over the hotel to call back when paged but not in the washrooms. Some of these mean employees would have fun. When they would see a Security Officer heading to the "head" (sorry couldn't resist), they'd page us just for fun

[NRM_Oz]

As to whether these guys get their breaks as specified, operations take priority and a few times in my 2 years with this role, as I enjoy manning the front desk for a change or when I need a break myself or wish to conduct checks or live audits. I know running the division I am supposed to sit in an office all day but there are times when it is good to go back to the field work just to keep your eye. Like EMT (I have no idea how crazy your nights could go from 1 extreme to another), I have been on usually peaceful nights until a storm, flood or something work such as civil unrest means your premises or that of the client / company could require urgent attention or action to respond to multiple alarms during a storm. But it does make the shifts go faster which is better than counting bricks for 12 hours.

In 1989 Sydney was hit by the tail of an earthquake and as a lad I thought my father had hit a water pipe drilling into concrete but the EpiCentre was 200 miles away. My works 26 storey building shook and a former boss was on the throne when all the lights went out, with emergency lighting kicking in and our Evacuation alert system kicking in. People were killed under shop awnings and inside a collapsed building.