Company lockers

[Viney]

Dear org,

Does anyone know the legality issues behind company lockers? Does the company have the right to empty your locker A) without you being there B) without warning?

We have had a our lockers cleared before but with warning and a notice to state your purpose of having the locker. Some cycle, or motorcycle and like me keep trousers and shoes in the locker to save carting them back and forth.

Now, lockers are scarse and there are notices stating the your locker muct be emptied at the end of the day and the key returned to the lock.

I thought i was going mad this morning, i knew that on Friday i put my stuff in the locker... however, a little bit of doubt crept into my mind thinking that i hadn't and the stuff has been nicked!

[Mr Speirs]

I worked for two companies who did a mass locker emptying exercise. Both time plenty of warning was given which gave you the option to do it yourself before the date. What they also did was in the daytime they had two people (security guards) in the locker room all day. Each time someone came in they would ask to look in their locker. They were basically looking for things that showed that you kept the locker all the time. If they did you were told that it would be emptied tonight if they didnt empty it and asked not to save lockers.
Legally I believe this is the right way to do it. You must give warning and with the warning they don't have to have yourself present.

Originally Posted by Viney

Dear org,

Does anyone know the legality issues behind company lockers? Does the company have the right to empty your locker A) without you being there B) without warning?

We have had a our lockers cleared before but with warning and a notice to state your purpose of having the locker. Some cycle, or motorcycle and like me keep trousers and shoes in the locker to save carting them back and forth.

Now, lockers are scarse and there are notices stating the your locker muct be emptied at the end of the day and the key returned to the lock.

I thought i was going mad this morning, i knew that on Friday i put my stuff in the locker... however, a little bit of doubt crept into my mind thinking that i hadn't and the stuff has been nicked!

oh god are they not pad locked honey ?

[Viney]

They have thier own key. The locker police have a master key

I'm quite sure they are not allowed to gain entry into your locker without your permission. It's your private space.

I'd complain if I were you. Especially when you now have stuff missing.

I think it depends on whether or not it is company policy (and has been for a reasonable amount of time). If it is policy that all lockers are to be left empty at the end of a day, then I'm not sure what else you can do.

Originally Posted by BigApe

I'm quite sure they are not allowed to gain entry into your locker without your permission. It's your private space.

I'd complain if I were you. Especially when you now have stuff missing.

If Viney had brought his own locker to work then you could be right. But the lockers are provided by the company for all to use. If the policy is that lockers are to be empty at night, with the key in the door, then he should have no expectation to be able to leave items in there overnight untouched.

Originally Posted by rigor

I think it depends on whether or not it is company policy (and has been for a reasonable amount of time). If it is policy that all lockers are to be left empty at the end of a day, then I'm not sure what else you can do.



If Viney had brought his own locker to work then you could be right. But the lockers are provided by the company for all to use. If the policy is that lockers are to be empty at night, with the key in the door, then he should have no expectation to be able to leave items in there overnight untouched.

Fair point. I know the lockers at my work you get to keep the locker and are given the key. I've been waiting for one for the past 4 years. They have had signs on all the doors saying they are going to purge the lockers and all lockers no longer being regularly used will be emptied, the locks changed, and re-issued. The signs have been on the doors for the past 6 months and I'm getting mighty impatient.

As far as I know, it's not your space. It's theirs. You're just borrowing it. Welcome to the world of Locker politics. I had this at my last place of work. Got so bored with it that I just left my soaking wet bike gear at my desk until someone complained.

[timwilky]

Lockers, god you lot are pampered.

Our offices have nowhere to leave any clothing/kit. When I have ventured to my head office by bike. It is not fun dragging leathers/helmet/boots etc along with a laptop between offices for meetings etc. Now I have learned the correct way. Book a hot office and expect everybody to come to me.

[Viney]

Originally Posted by timwilky

Lockers, god you lot are pampered.

Our offices have nowhere to leave any clothing/kit. When I have ventured to my head office by bike. It is not fun dragging leathers/helmet/boots etc along with a laptop between offices for meetings etc. Now I have learned the correct way. Book a hot office and expect everybody to come to me.

Oh Mr W, this is new to the company, and its only been possible since we moved into our new offices!

BA, none of my stuff was missing, as it was in a clear bag sitting in the 'Emptied locker collection area'

A couple of people higher up than me have gone right off on one so it should be fun over the next couple of days

I met set some booby traps in my locker