Is this a valid reason to fire/give an employee a warning?

In the old days, that's how some people got fired, they went to work and their badge didn't work. Too impersonal so I think they stopped doing it. You do hear funny stories about that though, like a guy went to work and his badge didn't work so he thought he was fired so he just went home, but it was just his badge that wasn't working and he wasn't fired.

 
In the old days, that's how some people got fired, they went to work and their badge didn't work. Too impersonal so I think they stopped doing it. You do hear funny stories about that though, like a guy went to work and his badge didn't work so he thought he was fired so he just went home, but it was just his badge that wasn't working and he wasn't fired.


That was a great movie.
 
I guess my company is really running out of money then. They are jammed all the time but at least you will hear a click.
Might need to start a section on security door PM … 😷
So, our schools use these doors with a 4 way lobby … You can enter the front of building from the N … but S, W, and E doors need a badge … The mirror window with K9 & master faces the front door …
 
Usually signing the paper, is to agree that the conversation/warning discussion took place and the employee is aware if the consequences if it happens again. If the employee refuses to sign, another witness is brought in to witness that the employee is aware of what the infraction is and what the consequences are/will be. The management witness will sign where the employee would , stating the employee refuses to sign but was present for the above documented discussion.
Not signing it, will not help the employee in any way in my opinion.
Signing a written warning is (generally) only agreeing that you received it, and (generally) doesn't mean that you agree or disagree with it.

If you think the facts are not stated correctly there may be a place on the form to tell your side of the story, or even better send a memo to HR later stating your side of the story. By writing it out later you can be careful with your language and get someone to check your tone.

You don't want to escalate the situation over a written warning.

The next few days are critical. Acting out after receiving a warning can be the end of a career. I've seen it many times.
 
He was trying to get into the HR office. Which from my experience aren't locked unless there is no HR or other workers in the room.

Are you sure this is correct? Could there be a COVID policy in place you aren't aware of? They may have a ZOOM only or phone only type of policy in effect.
 
Signing a written warning is (generally) only agreeing that you received it, and (generally) doesn't mean that you agree or disagree with it.

If you think the facts are not stated correctly there may be a place on the form to tell your side of the story, or even better send a memo to HR later stating your side of the story. By writing it out later you can be careful with your language and get someone to check your tone.

You don't want to escalate the situation over a written warning.

The next few days are critical. Acting out after receiving a warning can be the end of a career. I've seen it many times.

I've had to write up more than a few cops and each time I recommended they accept the write up and sign. I also recommended they write something to the effect of "My signature acknowledges receipt, not agreement of what is stated." Because it's really all the signature provides the employer.
 
Every place I worked where you badged in to a room, if your badge didn't work there was a phone number and phone next to the door to call security to help you out. It was a big security no-no to let others in with a swipe of your badge. Even been in areas where every person had to swipe their own badge even if there were 5 people in line to go through the same door - security wanted to know exactly who was going in. Maybe your buddy will just get a security violation out of it. Happened all the time to guys I worked with, but if you got too many or a serious security violation you could lose your job.
 
Interesting people's assumptions. If my badge didn't work, I'd assume someone took my access away and didn't tell me. Happened to me at work a couple years ago. They should have told me but I didn't try to force the door open. We used to always joke when our badges didn't work that it was nice working with you and let me know if have any job leads.

Being an HR room, I'd assume that there is a way to lock it from the inside so people don't go barging in during a sensitive time with confidential documents out in the open.
 
They're fine now. Since I have a health condition that makes me more prone to getting this virus, I thought I wouldn't work and just finish up school (I've got 2 years left).

Great!

Don't waste too much energy on things that shouldn't be too high on your priority list. it will eventually impact your health.

Friends come and go. You may not hear from them for a while if they find a new girl friend. lol
If it was your buddy or best friend that's different but even then fighting corporate America for others should not be high on your priority list. Give a little advice and move on.

glad your parents are doing well.
 
Turns out the HR opened the door and was yelling and cursing at my friend. Looks like he could've been doing something he shouldn't have been doing :ROFLMAO:
 
The whole tailgating thing is interesting to me.

Last year, I left a job at a big state university where I'd been for 10 years.

We had two campuses, and I was on the "main" campus. Keycard access wasn't a huge deal, and really was only for after hours and a few specific areas of certain buildings. Since my building was a "teaching" building it was rare during the semester that I'd be there outside the open hours-it was something like 6:00AM to 11:00PM or something ludicrous like that. Even for that matter, my last few years there I primarily came and went in the morning/afternoon by the basement back door, which was keyed and I was one of the few folks with a key to it(actually held onto from before they put keycards on all the locks but that particular one).

I spent some time at the next building over, which was primarily a research building. Parts of the building were freely accessible, and parts weren't. The main ones I used were the loading dock and freight elevator, but I was escorted to other locked parts of the building(i.e the clean room) a few times.

Our downtown campus was a different story, since all the buildings were locked 24/7 and I didn't have keycard access to any of them. It was incredibly frustrating when I'd have a meeting down there, ask them to send someone down to let me in, and get told "Just follow someone in." It was basically a universal practice to the point where if someone saw you looking like you needed into the building, they'd usually offer(whether or not they knew you). It definitely would be a security issue, especially given what all went on down there, but it happened. Of course, to me if you have an appointment with someone and they escort you in/out of the building it's a bit of a different issue, but there again tagging along never really came up(unless you did something in the building to make it so).
 
I've been in lower security areas where tailgating was allowed, but the person allowing the tailgater in had to check their security badge. Most of the time it was co-workers tailgating each other, but once in awhile an unknown person with a badge would show up. If I didn't know them I'd just say "Can you please badge in yourself", and that left all doubt out. I'd go through and close the door, and the guy would have to get in by himself.
 
Idk what to tell him. He's asking me if he should sign the warning paper. I would ask HR what I did and why I am receiving this? Also, I would talk to the company manager.
He should get a lawyer. If he can find one that isn't busy chasing ambulances and supposed civil rights violations, and running ads day and night about it.
 
He should get a lawyer. If he can find one that isn't busy chasing ambulances and supposed civil rights violations, and running ads day and night about it.
Now you are really escalating the situation. The management may decide it is better to just pay this guy a few hundred bucks to go away and don't want to deal with him anymore.

The lawyers will know if a dead broke person on at will employment in the wrong, refusing to sign a traffic ticket acceptance without admitting to guilt, is a valuable client. I've friends who got hit by uninsured motorists and the ambulance chasers ran out as soon as they find out it was uninsured motorists.
 
It's important to caution against escalation. And getting a lawyer is escalation.

Everybody is getting their shirt in a knot without knowing the outcome of the meeting with HR. A written warning is a formal caution to "smarten up and don't do it again".
Just playing the percentages here. HR is no more your friend than the police or government officials are, and it's wise to be prepared.
 
Yup! That’s how it was when I worked at the Airport - and that was before 9/11!
It most certainly is a security thing.

Where I work, if you use your badge to allow someone else in to the building, you are subject to immediate firing.

It's a security thing. They are serious. They have cameras. They watch. The Federal Government looks over their shoulder.
Policy dictates that. The question is was policy violated in OP case. Who knows?
 
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