May need a name change...

[Lawson]

Well... forgive my ranting... but Im at a little bit of a loss on what to do here, figured I'd take some opinions from some of you who have been there done that before I do something stupid...

Basically, as most of you know I work at a psychiatric facility doing security. I've been here now for a little more than a year and a half. I left Wackenhut to come here and it was an easy decision, the site is 50 miles closer to home, the pay was better, more benefits, paid leave, etc...

When I first got here I thought it was great.

Well 1.5yrs later, I feel like this job is crap, but Im not sure. When I got here the job was only 2 years old so I knew there would be some growing pains, but it's gotten ridiculous.

As some of you know, we have no uniforms, no equipment, no formal security training, no nada nothing. We get less training than the mandatory 8 hour State license guard card class.

I have talked with the management here time and time again about trying to upgrade security to something that is worth a damn, and they act like they care, but I always have the quaint feeling they are just blowing smoke to get me out of the offices.

We dont have any supervisors that have any security experience whatsoever. Everytime I talk with my direct supervisor about things we should focus on/need/etc... she gives me some sort of line about how certain parts of our job (rounds being the biggest one) are easy and even she could do them if necessary.

There seems to be little to no management support for us other than them just not canning us all because we are their "utility players."

Recently, the upper management screwed a lot of us over by taking money from our checks with only 1 day notice and no time to make a payment plan. They took a little less than 200 dollars from me, a hit I really cant afford. The reasoning said "Over Paid." ... (and I am personally offended that some desk jockey whos only job is to f*** up everyone's paycheck from month to month and go to executive luncheons and make sure they get off work on time has the gall and audacity to me, the one who gets punched, kicked, spit on, and has to roll around with people covered in mud, blood, feces, and urine; that I was "over paid" and just rip the money unannounced from my check )

I recently applied to be an instructor for our defensive tactics program. I actually requested the position BEFORE we switched over to the new system. Twice I was lead on that I would get to do the instructor class, and twice I received a slap in the face when the emails on who gets to go came out.

The job has just become such a burden on me that I find most of my sick days that I take are not from physical illness, but from just outright depression. Something I've never experienced from any other job I've ever worked at.

...anyway...

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "BHR Lawson, why don't you just quit?"

Well... BHR is one of the best paying outfits for security in the area. Most security pays in the $9.00/hr - $12.00/hr range. I'm making about $15.00/hr.

Most companies dont provide any type of benefit except some kind of crappy medical coverage. Here I get 100% medical, good dental, vacation, sick, etc...

Here I have a solid schedule, I know when I will work and when I wont work; I know when there is and is not OT available... if both guards dont show up to relieve me in the AM, I can have a cold shift end and just go home.

...So I am confused, I dont know what to do here... I kinda want to get out, but I dont want to give up all the good things Ive got... any thoughts?

*(I am testing for a State Patrol job later this month, if I get it, I'm going to the Academy in October, just thinking about the meantime)

[Maelstrom]

Sorry to hear things aren't panning out the way you would've hoped... I've always believed that job satisfaction was equally (if not more so) as important as good pay & working conditions, however realistically job satisfaction alone won't put food on the table eh?

A wise man once reportedly said "change what you can & accept what you cannot..." perhaps there is something of value in that statement? concentrate on those aspects of your job & work environment you do have control over and see where things go

How do you colleagues feel about 'the situation' at your site? perhaps one of them has an insight into the issue you've not yet considered?

[Lawson]

How do you colleagues feel about 'the situation' at your site? perhaps one of them has an insight into the issue you've not yet considered?

It's different between all of them, a couple of them stand behind me and think we need to change things here, but a couple of them seem to have this mentality of this being the best job one could have... but whats funny... the one's that want to see change have outside security experience, the one's who dont pretty much either got their start here, or worked here as a clinical staff member and switched to security for the added pay.

[Nauticus]

Sorry to hear.

Speaking for myself, I've given up many very good security positions for other, less good ones based only on not liking the first job. Airport screening, mall security, downtown patrol - but I have a job now as a protection agent. I don't anticipate quitting.

I say go for something you enjoy.

[FederalSecurity]

I understand your position.

BHR Lawson,

I think when situations like this arise, it's good to have something in your

life that constantly helps to take your mind off these matters. Whether

that "something" is taking the training issue into your own hands, keeping

busy by going to college, or another job on your days off that

entails "genuine" security duties if not necessarily genuine pay. So far these

are all that I've been able to think of. Hopefully you'll get other posts with

good suggestions because I need some ideas on this as well.

[Lawson]

Well, I do law enforcement on my days off from here, so its something that gets me away from this; however; I'm not concerned so much about my lack of training as I am for the others here.

It's always a pain in the arse to have this conversation at shift report...

Dayshift: "Well, we had a transient trespasser down in the wooded area today that we told to leave."

Me: Okay, well did you get his name?

D: No.

M: Did you have the police trespass him?

D: No.

M: Well, do you know who it is?

D: No.

M: Did you get a photo?:

D: No we didn't.

M: So how am I supposed to know whether to have the PD come out for trespassing or not if this guy ends up coming back?

D: Well, we dont think he'll be back.

[CorpSec]

I have been in a similar spot before. You can't fight city hall. An enterprise will decide how much/little security they want and little can generally be done to change their mind.

Apparently they are happy with the current set up judging by the pay and benefits they pay their security. You want to give them something they don't feel they need. They are happy with undertrained guards without any uniforms.

You simply take security a lot more seriously than they do. That isn't a bad thing on the surface, but it will most certainly cause frustration. Trust me, I have been at places that took security way less seriously than I did and it literally cost me hours and hours of sleep. I would write up proposals, I would go to meetings, etc. etc. Finally, I just realized that they were the ones running the ship and as the ones paying for security, they would get what THEY wanted, without regard to what I wanted.

If you can't come to terms with the current set up and learn to go along to get along than the job isn't for you. It is time to take some deep breaths and pick your battles.

If you plan on going into L.E. full time like it seems, don't become a problem employee to the point where it will screw up a background investigation.

Take time to look at both sides of the coin. I think a lot of this has to do with age. I too was a hard charger at your age. Now, I have settled down to the point that if some bum was in the woods outside I would tell him to move along and be done with it like your co-workers.

Look at work as the 40 hours a week you go through to get to enjoy the other 128. I know it is easier said than done and I am not telling you not to take pride in your work, but just look at the big picture a little more.

[Aussie-SO]

A wise person once told me to look out for the universal signs...

1/ Hit by a pebble

2/ Hit by a stone

3/ Hit by a rock

4/ Hit by a boulder

And if by this time you still haven't got the message, then the universe will throw the whole damn mountain at you.

In other words is the job simply telling you that you are far better than this and that it might be time to move on?

I think your up coming test is probably the direction you need to be heading in, I hope it all works out for you

PS: I have had the damn mountain thrown at me in the past

[Maelstrom]

Is there a different avenue to take your concerns? I once had a OHS issue in the area I was working, basically the onus kept being put back on us by our immediate superior... one day I/we seized the opportunity to speak to the safety liaison staff member that had just given us our annual fire/safety inservice and things were fixed within days (we'd been trying for months)

Alternatively, like the others have said perhaps it's time to take all the experience you've gained from this position and move along to something else (if not better)

[mad_malk]

All i can say is start creating a paper trail and make copies for your self. that way when not if but when some thing does go wrong you have protected yuor self.

[inman]

I feel for you friend, as I once worked psych for the State of Tennessee. Great benifits, but only $5.50 an hour pay for the 8 hours of hard work we did with the patients. I have attached 2 forms that might be of use for your crew.

Suspicious Person Report.pdf

Suspicious Vehicle Report.pdf

[gcmc security part 2]

I have a saying. The day you get up and you truthfully dread going to work, it's time to put your notice in.


Having said that, we all say from time to time "Dang I don't wanna work today". What I mean is when going to that job is completly emotionally or mentally draining. When it starts affecting your home life.

I got lucky the last time. I was working in the office, salaried. I truthfully hated it. Finally I put a notice in. Plan was to go to TN but that changed. Company let me go back in the field, doing the work that I like to do. Now I couldn't be happier (well maybe with a bit more money lol). I know this isn't an option for you, but sometimes the money ain't worth the BS.

[LPAjh9558]

Recently, the upper management screwed a lot of us over by taking money from our checks with only 1 day notice and no time to make a payment plan. They took a little less than 200 dollars from me, a hit I really cant afford. The reasoning said "Over Paid." ... (and I am personally offended that some desk jockey whos only job is to f*** up everyone's paycheck from month to month and go to executive luncheons and make sure they get off work on time has the gall and audacity to me, the one who gets punched, kicked, spit on, and has to roll around with people covered in mud, blood, feces, and urine; that I was "over paid" and just rip the money unannounced from my check )

The job has just become such a burden on me that I find most of my sick days that I take are not from physical illness, but from just outright depression. Something I've never experienced from any other job I've ever worked at.

...anyway...

I'm sure some of you are thinking, "BHR Lawson, why don't you just quit?"

Well... BHR is one of the best paying outfits for security in the area. Most security pays in the $9.00/hr - $12.00/hr range. I'm making about $15.00/hr.

Most companies dont provide any type of benefit except some kind of crappy medical coverage. Here I get 100% medical, good dental, vacation, sick, etc...

Here I have a solid schedule, I know when I will work and when I wont work; I know when there is and is not OT available... if both guards dont show up to relieve me in the AM, I can have a cold shift end and just go home.

...So I am confused, I dont know what to do here... I kinda want to get out, but I dont want to give up all the good things Ive got... any thoughts?

*(I am testing for a State Patrol job later this month, if I get it, I'm going to the Academy in October, just thinking about the meantime)

BHR,
Sorry to hear what you're going through over there. The pay alone is something that would most certainly have me thinking of staying regardless of the situation...

From what I can tell, it seems that you've gotten the shaft x 10 at your current job And although I may not have been through the exact same things as you, I totally feel for you. I'm sure that it feels like nothing is going right, or that you might not be doing anything right either...
In any case you have to keep your head up high and don't let 'em get to ya

Again, the benefits are obviously awesome, there's no doubt there But you have to ask yourself if the job is really worth all that stress that you'll undoubtedly be putting on yourself in the long run.....
Aside from that, if it looks like you'll get the State Patrol job (fingers crossed), then sticking with it might be an option for you. You can only do so much before a job just isn't worth it anymore...

Best of luck to you!
LPAjh9558

[SecTrainer]

Seems to me you already know what you should do; at least, I think I can read it in your post.

On your time off, you work in reserve LE. You're taking the test for state patrol. Sounds like you really want to be a policeman.

Equally important are the other options available to you to advance yourself within the field of security and that you're not doing. For instance, you could be using your spare time to get a degree in security management, work toward CPP certification, etc. These things would get you out of the "hourly wage" mode of thinking and chances are you could work into positions that pay far more than LE pays.

You could also shift your focus into the physical security arena where people can make good money.

Or, you could prepare to open your own security agency by taking business courses, putting some investment capital together, etc.

The point is, there's a reason you're thinking about moving out of the field of security as opposed to doing things that would enhance your opportunities within the field.

Please understand, I'm not in any way criticizing you for not doing these things. I think this is telling you something. There are lots of other things you're not doing - going for a degree in English literature, or hotel management, for instance. Why? Because you're not interested in these.

So...what I'm suggesting is that the choices you're actually making "on the ground", when you have other options you could pursue, are telling you where you really want to go in your life. This is your subconscious speaking to you, and I think you should listen to it.

Good luck on your upcoming test!

[NRM_Oz]

Ditto - good luck with the test coming up soon.

I say to anyone who wants to advance then you need to sell yourself in another environment as well as upgrading your qualifications to make yourself more marketable. Yes those dollars are a good $200.00 clear after tax every week plus the benefits, however you need to consider your happiness. Right now I would just cover your backside with documenting things and just do your job in the 8 hours to go home every shift.

We all have to do things or work with people who are annoying and I am sure I have been called the same in the past, however, I go to work and come home from work not wanting to be involved with the social side of things. I keep myself away from the games played so that I can avoid any issues. Yes it is frustrating when people who earn the same or similar $$$ are incompetent or just lazy, but you just need to focus on you for 8 hours and go home. Hang in there, life has to improve somewhere in the future.