Lockers at work - can they 'make' you use them?

[minskey]

The company I work for has suddenly decided that no personal items are to brought into the reception desk area where I work [this is even though they are place under a deep desk out of view to staff, members of the public do not have access to that side of the desk] this includes handbags.

I don have a problem with that but do have one with the lockers they have purchased; bog standard [like school] the lock is a basic key, the mechanism inside is a piec of flat metal with a nut holing it in place.

I had a look on the manufactures web site and they state the model is not for 'personal items' which are secured with a dead lock.

Where do I stand; the lockers are place in a kitchen downstais where all and sundry have access. I was told the door would be locked but have found it un-locked twice, makes no odds as there aare at least two of the kitchen keys which have been 'lost'.

[Jeanied]

Sounds like they can make you use them if they can guarantee the safety of your personal possessions, Minskey! And they agree that they are liable if the locker is burgled! In other words if they accept, in writing, liability for the safety of your things.

[zazen999]

Personally, if it was me; I'd either refuse until the lockers were of a standard whereby they cannot be tampered with or stop taking handbag in and keep money in a moneybelt and keys in my pocket. At some point, something is going to go missing and I'd want to make sure it wasn't my stuff.

[Bagpuss]

Hi Minskey.
I'm not sure whether you work in an environment which means that there is a possibility of staff theft of goods, or an environmental reason (eg food prep areas). I would say that unless they are going to take responsibility (and this will include having appropriate insurance) they cannot make you use the lockers.

[ginger ninger]

Are there any small loops on so you can fit your own padlock minsky??? If there is, put a small padlock on, that's if your employer insists you use the lockers, they also have a duty to you to keep your possessions safe, if anything should go missing, they are liable, unless they have a notice that Say's "that you use the lockers at your own risk", then in that case I'd tell them to take a running jump.

[Two_Sheds]

A locker !
We have to leave our bags on the door in the classroom, or in the staffroom (I hide mine under a chair, but it isn't really hidden)

I have money, mobile, iPod etc in it

[blue411]

I am a manager within a 400+ staff the majority of which have lockers, we offer lockers to our staff and some have dial locks and some have padlocks, some people bring in their own locks for added security, we dont insist they use them but if they dont and loose their possessions that is at their own risk, as mentioned previously can you fix your own lock to the locker?

[minskey]

Cheer for all the replys;

1 - They will not accept any responsibility & no signs are up.
2 - No place for our own padlock.
3 - The area is open to members of the public where the lockers are.
4 - I work on the box office/reception desk & bags are placed out of sight deep underneath the desk.
5 - I know why they are doing this; some staff keep thier 'phones on and text, I think that is very unproffessional and have never done that, the few staff that behave appropriatley are being penalised becase of a few which thet know about, surely they should be disaplined [diss...!]

[ginger ninger]

I worked for a very famous Clothing Designer (the famous Checked one) they supplied us with lockers, they were all open mesh fronted with room for our own padlock, we weren't allowed are phones on the factory floor or to be switched on while we were working, any personal phone calls were to be made in our dinner hour unless we had prior permission from management, if we were found using our phones it could have been a verbal warning, this was company policy. This was all caused by a few people sneaking into the toilets to use there phones, that spoiled it for every one else, we were allowed a small see through bag with our purse and toiletries in, that was it. Everything else had to go in the locker.

[snohare]

Get a couple of wee U-bolt shackles at B & Q, and a cheapo padlock - total cost about �6. Problem solved as long as you or the janitor can drill a couple of wee holes in the locker door/panel. If it is the standard thin metal lockers are usually made with, a battery drill will do, you could almost do it with a hammer and crosshead screwdriver !
Then any thieves will concentrate on "the rich girl's" locker and ignore the unlocked ones...

[beefy]

Cheer for all the replys;

1 - They will not accept any responsibility & no signs are up.
2 - No place for our own padlock.
3 - The area is open to members of the public where the lockers are.

1- If they insist you use the lockers they are responsible for any loss from them. No sign or notice will get them out of their responsibility to provide a SAFE and SECURE workplace for their employees.
2- Again not safe and secure .HSE - Looking after your business - Getting started Point 6 would seem to be the one to throw at them. Unsecurable lockers in a public area would be a saftey risk.

[minskey]

I overheard a conversation between the managers that we 'would be caught by the cameras anyway so they would see if we sneaked a bag in' they were on the other side of a very thin partition, thier face was a picture but I pretended I heard nothing. Can personell be filmed without consent? Amazing as I work for a local council and they make themself out to be seen as hot on peoples rights!!!!

[Hilary B]

If they WARN that you might be filmed (because the cameras happen to be there for other reasons) I suspect there is nothing illegal about it, HOWEVER the important detail is the security issue. If it ain't secure, they CANNOT insist you leave valuables there.
Wonder how they would cope with my mobile phone, which is invariably in a POCKET (I don't do handbags)?
Come to think of it, if they get really difficult couldn't you make a sex-discrimination issue out of it? Men use pockets, so who would know what they are carrying; most women (unlike me) use handbags........

[SlugLobber]

On the filming issue, they can only film if you are made aware i.e. CCTV notices and the like. If you remember Al Fayed was done a few years ago for tapping into phones and watching staff on secret CCTV.

Can't really comment on the locker issue. They'd be really handy where I work, as we don't have space for ANYTHING, meaning that bags etc are crushed into a drawer or stuffed under the desk!

[beefy]

If the "secret cameras " are being used for security they cant be used to keep tabs on staff. ie what time you eventually get to work, what you bring to your desk etc - cctv cannot be used to make a case against you if it's there for security.
Sounds like you need a good union presence in your workplace who would be able to sort all this type of nonsence out for you.