Workplace charges employees $8 every time they forget their security badge: 'I would never turn it back in'

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A frustrated employee yells into a telephone

My company started charging us $8 if we forget our badge.

Not even joking. They installed new turnstiles at our office a few months ago. If you forget your badge, security prints you a temporary one and payroll deducts an $8 "replacement access fee" from your next check.
The temporary badge is literally a piece of paper in a plastic holder that gets returned at the end of the day. One guy questioned it because he forgot his badge twice in the same pay period and got charged $16. HR apparently told him the fee is meant to "encourage personal responsibility."
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Meanwhile our office coffee machine has been broken since May because replacing it "isn't in the current budget."
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Commenters offered their takes and advice on the situation.

krusty6969 I'm not sure where you live but this sounds illegal.
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RealCory Miller For $8 I'm at least keeping it
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Diamond_Sutra Everyone should then just go home, get their badge, and come back. Cite the fee as fault for that extra lost hour of productivity.
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famishius I would never turn it back in. I paid for it. I would keep it. I would take it to the car and put it in a place as a reminder.
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An employee sits behind a desk holding a phone to his ears
nugstar Charging you to access your place of work is stupid.
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jalmstead I would turn around and call out for the day. I'm not paying to use the turnstile.
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lankaxhandle Did you sign a form of any kind authorizing payroll deduction?
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vehsa757 Depends on the state. In my state it's legal to charge employees for any lost, damaged, or stolen ppe, tools, uniforms, badges etc. that they forget.
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fckfckf Can you put it through as an expense and have them reimburse you for it? Send the proof of deduction to payroll and say it's a work expense. Like if you needed to travel for work they'd reimburse you for the mileage, this is akin to mileage if they're charging you a work expense
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Zealousideal-Peach44 Is it too tiring to clarify in which country you live? Different countries = different laws = different advices.
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Four_in_binary Just copy the card data to your phone using the phone's rfid tag reader.
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boozelessensthepain Mine does something similar for lost key cards, but they charge you the literal cost to replace the card. We can usually get a loaner for the day if you forgot it, with reoccurring loss/forgot resulting in documentation
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Hannie123456789 At my job it costs €25 to replace your badge. Insane. I never forgot it in the ten years I work there. I have a 45 minute commute, so if I forget: I will go back home to get it.
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