'They had to find a replacement ASAP': Security guard fired but still expected to work remaining scheduled shifts

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Brad Dickson • Managing Editor
Sep 14, 2023 12:00 PM EDT

Workplaces that rely on scheduled shift work often have an unhealthy obsession with said schedule, holding it in as paramount even when it extends out of the bounds of sanity or reason. Things like scheduled leave, availability—or, as it turns out, even being fired—have little importance when it comes to a scheduled shift… If it's on the schedule, you'd better be there no matter what.

Managers who aggressively adhere to this schedule often act as if it were scripture passed to them from a higher power, even though that higher power was actually just themselves. Still, they act as if any mistake or oversight was made with careful intentionality, pressing workers to attend shifts even if they had planned on being on vacation in another country on that day.

This security guard shared their story of being fired from a job, only to have their now-previous employer turn around and ask them to work the remaining shifts that they had been scheduled for. They gave a detailed narrative of events, telling first how they were notified of their dismissal in a manner that didn't fit with the local legal requirements and then how the company failed to even notify the supervisor in charge of scheduling, who contacted them still expecting them to attend their shifts. See this, along with reactions from the thread where their story was originally posted below. 

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  • 01
    High-visibility clothing - PT. TD SECURITY 1-
    via Gema Saputera
  • 02
    Font - Posted by u/kayasha Following a termination letter to a T L OC I was working for a security company, let's call it ASD security We had 3 shifts, day / evening and night for the weekday and 12 hours shifts for the weekend. Being the new guy, I was night shift. The job was at a trucking company. We were in a boot in the middle of the entrance and our job was basically to make a ticket that we give the driver for the in and out's of trucks.
    via u/kayasha
  • 03
    Font - Driver's name Licence plate of truck Truck's trailer number Date stamped ( did the stacks at night) And we had a log for trailer numbers also that we cross checked.
    via u/kayasha
  • 04
    Font - Because it's a night shift and less traffic, our job was also a perimeter check, logging in all trailers and trucks in a separate log, stamping the date on tickets (maybe 200 tickets roughly if not more) and we were a call center for other security guards on other sites. Meaning every hour, the other security guards would. call me (around 12 of them) to check in and say everything is fine. If one didn't check in, I call, if no one answered, I had to send a patrol car to make sure everythi
    via u/kayasha
  • 05
    Font - The client of the trucking company complained to ASD security that I was #1 always on my phone, #2didn't like the fact that I was smoking cigarettes ( he said to much ) and #3 that he saw me on a camera talking to myself and found it weird. 1:1 week in after training was done, there was no way in hQ I was going to be picking up or making 12 calls a hour. I got my old Bluetooth headset (single ear thingy ) and hooked it up to the work cellphone. That helped me stamp the shout of the ticket
    via u/kayasha
  • 06
    Font - 2: because I had a routine down and I even changed the order of my routine so It does not become predictable. I was able to streamline my job and had free time, so I took breaks here and there, smoked a cigarettes and went back at it. I smoked at the designated spot that was near my boot, so I had a view of the incoming/leaving trucks, if one came by, I just chucked the cigarette in the bucket and did the truck. nope the client didn't like that. 3: well that ties in to #1 or I would be si
    via u/kayasha
  • 07
    Font - Monday morning, my shift was about to end, everything it done, my checklist is empty of tasks to do and who pulls up in a ASD Security car, my director. She pulls me to the side, hands me a letter and explains what's happening. Letter a termination due to the clients complaint. Reason #1 - 2 and 3 and please sign on the dotted line. Only thing I said was seriously?!?
    via u/kayasha
  • 08
    Font - Here is my compliance, the letter stated that my termination was in 1 week. Here the laws are that if a company terminates/fires you, they have to give you two weeks notice, if the notice is shorter than 2 weeks the remaining time must be paid out. happily signed and she already signed her part. I went in the boot to collect my things. My superviser is the one doing day shift and was puzzled. He asked me what was happening. I just told him, Madame ASD Security just fired me and the letter
    via u/kayasha
  • 09
    Font - Along came Friday, my superviser was not happy. I had a trash bag with uniform and gear they gave me. After my shift was done, I drove to the office, dropped the bag On Madame ASD Security desk and left. She was not at her desk. My phone rang, it was the director asking what the ho was going on and why did I bring back my uniform as I still had 1 weeks notice left to fulfill legally. I just answered, As per the termination contract we both signed, on Monday 20th of Mai 200, last day of wo
    via u/kayasha
  • 10
    Font - She tried to contact me again in the afternoon, my phone was on mute as I went to bed. I woke up to a text message saying they are screwed and don't have a replacement for me could I come in at least for that weekend. I did not answer and never heard for her again. My ex supervisor called me asking if I was going to come in, said no. He was swearing Because he had the call the day guy, put him on the night shifts and take his place during the weekend. It messed up the schedule and the hou
    via u/kayasha
  • 11
    Font - My shift was Wednesday 11pm to Thursday 7am Thursday 4h45pm to Thursday 11h45pm Friday 11h45pm to saturday 11h45am Saturday 11h45pm to sunday 11h45am Sunday 11h45pm to monday 7h45pm 8/8/7/12 35h week 1 12/8/8/12 40h week 2 I don't recall 100% my schedule but it was something along those lines, it was a weird one, all that to accommodate the supervisor because he wanted a lighter week and the evening person couldn't do Friday evenings and other bulls You can imagine the fuO up with the sch
    via u/kayasha
  • 12
    Font - Edit 2: my shift were written with 11h45pm to 7h45am but paid 00:00 to 8:00, supervisor said that if you told a security guard to come in friday at midnight, 90% of the time, the people would show up friday at 11h50pm ish, alot of people here seems to not understand that friday midnight = thurdays 11h59 them boom we are friday 00:00 or midnight Edit 3: boot = booth, my brain at 2 am was trying to translate "Guérite" and my brain went for toll booth So boot is it ! I am keeping it at boot
    via u/kayasha
  • 13
    Font - Edit 4: a lot of people asking, I was payed the remainder of my 6% vacation time/ my remaining sick leave days as per the bylaws and my 1 week of notice that was remaining also, I was able to take a 1-2 week break and found another job Edit 5: for the lazy people, TLDR: director of my company went on site where I was working to hand me out a official firing notice, it was a 1 week notice, here by law it's 2 weeks notice, so they had to pay the remainder by check. The supervisor on site di
    via u/kayasha
  • 14
    Font - The company had to faround the schedule, train someone and pay overtime, even the supervisor had to work on the weekend. When slo hit the fan, the director called me to ask if I could do the other week, told her I signed a paper stating 1 week notice, sorry legally I cannot. She texted me to cover at least the weekend. I never responded.
    via u/kayasha
  • 15
    Font - Hal_E_Lujah It's fascinating how they thought it was your problem after you'd just been fired. Reply Share 3.4k fjsventura This seems to be a general pattern... 1. Company fires employee 2. Company expects employee to give 300% on last days 3. Company demands ex-employee to fix everything they fixed before being fired... Good for them. Ahah 1.9k Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 16
    Font - gordonsp6 It's funny how many companies are entirely aware of and have statistics for their turnover rate, and yet somehow never seem to compensate for it. The only way 1 employee out should have enough effect to the point of getting screwed is if the employee accounts for 50% or more of the staff. 2.1k Reply Share SilverclawArtWriter I know how this is, personally. I was one of four people working the auto care center of a Walmart and most of the time I was working alone doing the work o
    via u/kayasha
  • 17
    Font - Jamie8765 I do a similar thing with a bluetooth earpiece at work, so I can hear text alerts and take calls while out on the factory floor. A few years ago one of the suits decided I shouldn't be wearing an earpiece at work, so I stopped. Since the plant is so noisy, I plain didn't hear most important texts and calls, and when asked about it by my manager (who also used an earpiece) I explained the situation. I was given permission to use the earpiece again. ✩ 750 Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 18
    Font - Accomplished_Sir5178 It's crazy how one can get fired without being asked questions about the incidents. Thanks to the Director's actions; she messed it up for everyone. 270 Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 19
    Font - KrosseStarwind Security clients are pretty dumb sometimes. Sure what the client wants is good and important and all, but that's why we're security professionals and they do trucking. Your DM was dull. 243 Reply Share
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  • 20
    Font - SaneForCocoaPuffs Why did those idiots not think about offering you more money to be rehired? Reply Share 176 bananahammerredoux Because they couldn't even think about explaining to the client why the security guard was on the phone a lot. Or they could have reassigned OP somewhere else. I am curious about what happened. when the client noticed the next security guard hired did exactly the same thing as the one that was just fired. Reply Share 190
    via u/kayasha
  • 21
    Font - icallshogun I used to work overnight in security and I gotta say, those Bluetooth ear pieces were handy. So much bulls in those jobs, too. Gotta lot of trust in people you're constantly fu over. 124 Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 22
    Font - Dysan27 my shift were written with 11h45pm to 7h45am but paid 00:00 to 8:00, supervisor said that if you told a security guard to come in friday at midnight, 90% of the time, the people would show up friday at 11h50pm ish, alot of people here seems to not understand that friday midnight = thurdays 11h59 them boom we are friday 00:00 or midnight Yup never set a meeting for Midnight always 11:55 just to avoid this confusion. 86 Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 23
    Font - I__Know__Stuff. Did you ask how you were supposed to do your job without being on the phone? It seems that this client is just going to get everyone fired. 51 Reply Share kayasha OP Nope, that security company was a joke, I hated that director, had a few run ins with her, in the end, got by pay and remaining money owed, took some time off and went to another company 45 Reply Share
    via u/kayasha
  • 24
    Font - Mkinzer Here is my question. If client was spending that much time monitoring the security guard why even have one at all? Why not do the job themselves? 56 Reply Share kayasha OP Security guard here are glorified secretaries, front desk jocks, odd job doer. Because A, it brings down insurance prices, B, you don't need to pay all the benefits to an "employee" and C, you pay a flat hourly rate which is reduced if you get into a contract with security company and the client can just up a sa
    via u/kayasha
  • 25
    Font - I__Know__Stuff I did not answer and never heard from her again. Did you get paid for the extra week, though? Reply Share 29 kayasha OP Yes I got my sick days / 6% vacation pay and that 1 week. They have to by law, if not the union and gov agency for the protection of employees fos them over Reply Share 35
    via u/kayasha

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workplace discussion getting fired jobs fired employment-discussion toxic-workplace malicious compliance work workplace employment
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