HRD & Payroll Solutions continues to bring HR Zone members a range of HR tips. This week’s tip looks at searching employees.
Q: Stock is being pinched. Can we insist on searching people at random?
A: Emphatically no. To do so against the employee’s wishes would be assault. If you know the identity of the thief, call in the police.
Otherwise consider installing closed circuit television. You must tell your employees if you do this, and that may well resolve your problem.
If you do decide to carry out random searches you must first warn your employees and explain that refusal to be searched might cause you to call in the police or take disciplinary action.
You must select at random, for example by picking every 20th employee leaving the site, or by some other random and objective selection.
A search must be conducted in a private place by an executive or security officer of the same gender and the employee must be accompanied by someone of his or her choice. Finally, a record should be made of the event and the result.
Previous HR tips
Developing women managers
A promotion that failed
Fixing holidays
Holiday for temporary employees
A redundancy problem
Behaviour outside work
Suspension from work
Informing employees of new legislation
Deductions from wages
Children on site
Workplace affairs
Disabled workers
Attitude problems
Redundancy selection
Custom and practice
Working Bank holidays
Disciplinary and dismissal procedures
Time off work for funerals
References
Translating rules
Banning smoking at work
Burden of proof
Contracts of employment
