So I’m an assistant store manager at a gas station. I’ve been here for almost 4 years now and I’ve been robbed 3 times.
Apparently we have a see something say something policy, and learned that if we have reasonable suspicion that an employee has something that’s not allowed on company property that we’re supposed to search and confiscate whatever it is and supposedly take pictures.
Now obviously USCCA is about firearm and firearm safety.
Now let’s say a trainee or a coworker brought a bag that I would believe is carrying a firearm, or let’s say the employee is carrying and I believe they’re carrying because of the print. Our company policy is if we see something, we say something cause if we don’t we’re just as guilty and face possible demotion or termination for not enforcing company policy.
So my question would be when do we cross the line on searches, cause we can also have our vehicles searched for weapons. What would happen if I went to search someone’s bag and happen to find a loaded gun with no holster and somehow negligently discharged it? What if the worker has it on their person even though they might have their CHL and by company policy I need to conduct a search, then I’m in a bad spot where I’m searching somebody who might have a gun, and idk how much experience they have with guns, and it might be a gun I’m not familiar with and know how to operate, PLUS if I was to carry on the job with my 43, I wouldn’t be very comfortable with my other assistant store manager or even my manager who have very little gun experience to preform a search on me and risk the possible chance of a negligent discharge.
This is food for thought and these are some issues I’m wondering about right now.
Because if it’s found out he has his on him on company time under my direct supervision and they assume I knew about it. I’m out the door along with him. I understand and completely agree if he has a CHL and I have a CHL we should be able to carry on the job. But this is what company policy says and I feel like it puts me in a really bad spot.
Your company policy wants you to play cop. You described what can go wrong yourself. Why they would put you in this kind of jeopardy is another question.
You can verbally request the employee show you the content of the cup. I dont recommend laying a hand on the employee’s property or person - you lack the authority and it is assault, plain and simple. I recommend even less to begin an altercation with an armed person. If you believe there is danger - defer to actual police.
And in some cases, it is best to adjust your vision to lower resolution.
Yeah I was taking a webinar a few months ago, about our drug policy. They said if we suspect somebody is getting high on the job or is coming in high, I have to report it to my manager, and we wait for the next time for them to come in. We pretty much tell them we’re drug testing you and you have to come with us. According to the webinar, we aren’t allowed to have them drive off in their own vehicle, and we are to take them to the drug testing site in our own personal vehicle. If he flees or gets in his car and drives off, we call the police. I believe the company is putting us into a position that they themselves have no authority to do so, even in a place where cops would have no authority to do so.
I hate that you have to deal with this bullshit. We do what we have to do to make ends meet. I only hope that in the future you can walk away from this job.
Assistant Manager: noun: A position requiring all the responsibility of management, with none of the benefits.
Personally, I’d let management and corporate do their job, maintain my personal integrity, and put my blinders on to anything not directly affecting me. Any issue directly affecting me, I would communicate with person causing issue, and most likely…as my son would say, it’d be “chill” and life would go on.
Yeah I responded to my friend and was like it feels like to me this is a security job, and if it is, one it’s a ■■■■ one. I’ve been here since 2017 the end of this month is my 4 years here. I’m only staying cause of the job security and I get to work a lot of hours. I just got the assistant store manager position in December. So once I get a few years experience as one I can hopefully move on.
There is a huge difference between searching a locker, and searching employee’s purse (whether they are present or not)! Just for that you may have to answer criminal or civil charges. You company legally can put any sort of drivel in the policy. The way I read it, they are asking to use your personal property without compensation, and to put your person in danger, as well directs you to commit assault and kidnapping. @mattm gave the best career advice, on top of it you should gloat about being smarter than the execs and the legal department combined.
All I can do is speak on what I would do. Get the hours in while searching for another job. Some policies I would never follow, especially some like they have. I understand safety in the work place but if I am not LE, I do not need to be searching anyone, they want it done they come do it themselves. I experience something like this a work once, the boss wanted me to watch other workers and inform him if I see anything like them during drugs are drinking on the job or doing lunch. I told him that’s not my job and if he did not like that I could find another job.
How much “authority” do you and the other managers have over store policy? Can you implement a clear bag/bottle, container policy? If so, do that, then remind everyone of the policy, whether you agree or not, it is policy on a companies private property.
Sorry, but it sounds like time to find better employment. Assistant manager doesn’t pay enough to have to deal with that stuff and the potential lawsuits you could face. Good luck.
I mentioned elsewhere that my workplace had a search policy. I didnt quit my job over it, nor got excited. They are making wind, let them. The policy is unenforcible.
Under the policy we can search if we have reasonable suspicion if they taking company documents, smell drugs, or see the print of a firearm or weapon. A refusal of such search leads to termination, but when it comes down to it I don’t want to fight anyone over their own belongings, and if I conduct a search, there’s a ton of stuff that can go wrong, like let’s say there’s weed in a bag and I smell it and I search it, and I end up getting a little poke of fetynal. I shouldn’t have my job threatened over a unsafe procedure and over step into someone’s invasion of privacy.
I even asked my manager should the other assistant should of called the cops? And her response was no.
So now it really makes me question on what the policy is and what they’re asking us to do.
@Forensic-wow . The best time to look for another job is when you have one. In the
mean time you can get a labor law document for your state or find it on line. If there is a labor law violation you file a Anonymous complaint and supply the labor board with a copy of your company policy. Seams to me your time spent in
Your job title and position should look pretty good on your résumé. Get on your horse and, get the hell out of Dodge. GOOD HUNTING.
Idk. But when I started carrying on the job they automatically warned me that if I’m caught carrying on the job, they’ll fire me and anyone who they think knew about it. That was when I was a sales associate. Now I’m an assistant store manager so I’d like to keep this position for a while and have a few years of manager experience.
Sounds like you’re young. I’d advise getting into a technical field as then you won’t have to put up with this bs…otherwise, what @Blacky said.
Your employer is pitting employee against employee; not very cool in todays “team oriented” working world.
The whole “not calling the police” part from your mgr. makes their policy stink imo.
