Hey everybody, I come in need of advice and knowledge. I work for Menards. Upon work i signed a document saying that i would abide by all Policy and Procedures.

Now the problem... The head cashier (basically the cashier manager who takes care of everything at the registers) is now inspecting every lunchbox of every employee who leaves the building. The head cashiers are not doing this at their own free will, allthough they seem to enjoy it. It is apparently menards policy that they do this. Allthough they have not started enforcing it until now. Policy and Procedure #107, IV, L, 8, specifically addressing duties of the head cashier states that one of their duties is to:

"Check Team Members Coolers, Packages, and Purses, as they are leaving."

I feel that it is a violation of my civil rights as I am leaving the building to have my personal belongings inspected like i am a criminal.

I understand their reasoning behind it, and that things can be stolen through these items, but it was my understanding that they needed probable cause in order to search me.

What about females who carry purses; they carry all of their private and personal belongings in there. Is it right to have a person snoop through them? Is it legal? If the police cant get away with it how can menards? I understand i'm on menards property, but that doesnt give them permission to go through my property. Or am i just completley screwed because i signed the Policy and Procedure thing?

I though there were provisions in the constitution, specifically the bill of rights that prohibited me to be able to sign my rights away like that?

Someone please help! i have to go to work tommorow and want to know what i'm up against.

Since I had my cooler with me today, and heard about this new procedure half way through work, i left myself a "reminder" in my cooler to "kiss my (something)" (something meaning a body part that is associated with bowel movements), made sure it was face up and in big writing so whoever opened my cooler would be sure to see it. And sure enough, when the head cashier opened my cooler, she saw my "reminder to myself" and became offended. I cant imagine why, it was a reminder to me, not to her, i guess you shouldnt be rooting around in other peoples stuff.

Any advice or info would be greatly appreciated. And i am in MN so any applicable laws would apply to that state. Actually Menards HQ is based out of wisconsin, so would i be subject to wisconsins laws on this?

Thanks again, Peter

 

I used to work at Sam's Club and they have that policy. I had no problem with it as long as they did it to all the employees as they are leaving. It's the company's private property so there is nothing you can do about it but to get another job.

 

If I was your boss and you pulled that stunt with the offensive note where you knew another employee would find it, you wouldn't have to worry about the policies anymore. Grow up.

 

Not much you can do I dont think.
Minnesota is a Employment At-Will state.
http://jobsearchtech.about.com/od/laborlaws/l/aa092402.htm
Which means you can be fired for poopin your pants.
You can try to group a bunch of unhappy Employees, protest.
Menards is Local maybe they will listen If you go far enough up the ladder.

 

Yup. Listen to the previous posts. Home Depot does the same thing.......Sure you can refuse to open your bag......Just be ready to find another job. Welcome to retail......

 

Listen up.

I'm trying to grow up here, and its very hard when you get people searching your personal belongings in front of at least 10 customers on a daily basis. It makes me look and feel like a criminal. I take pride in being honest, and when I get searched like i'm scum by my employer i tend to get a little angry. I have a very short temper when it comes to stuff like that. Now that i have relaxed a little bit and have gathered my information here is my remedy to the problem:

1. Find another job. I've been looking for a job that is in my field of study, so i've been applying for jobs concerning automotive. Looking to hear back this wednesday

2. Once I find a job, I will quit at menards. I will turn in my 2 week notice, reason being that relationships are based alot on trust, and if there is no trust in the relationship with my employer, then i would rather work somewhere else where they trust and value me as an employee.

3. Last day of work at menards, I will shake the hands of my department managers and the store manager, and thank them for employing me. Then say goodbye to everybody and leave happily.

Also, i've been in retail for almost 1/4 of my life right now. I think i know a thing or two about it. Which is why i'm not trying to get a degree in retail management or merchandising or any stuff like that. Retail jobs are BS. No matter what job it is, the CEO has the same thing going through is mind, which is Minimize payroll, increase sales. Unless your the CEO, or high up the ladder, its not going to be a great job. No one cares about you or your needs. Menards being a prime example.

 

The policy isn't intendedd to degrade you, it's there to contain theft; obviously the motivation for the search in the first place. The policy was there before you joined the company, and will be there after you have moved on. It's not about you, it's about the company losing revenue to dishonest employees. Congratulate yourself and feel good that you aren't one, but they have the right to have that policy.

 

Read your first sentence.....

you agreed to it.


As far as menards having probable cause.... read this article.
http://retailindustry.about.com/od/s.../aa021126a.htm


do everyone a favor and never ever try to board an airplane.

 

If i go on an airplane i would expect to get searched. I was given the policy and procedure book at a 1/2 hour orientation section. Of course i did not come across anything saying i would be expected to show everyone my personal belongings every time i left the store. I bet you dont know every policy and procedure at your job.

I would feel much better if they would have maybe brought this up at a department meeting that was 2 days ago and let everyone know what to expect, or if they had a checkpoint to show your stuff, instead of saying, "let me see what is in your cooler" as your exiting the building. I think it shows a lack of trust, and if paranoid John Menard wants to start running a preschool by checking on every employee, then he can, thats his right, but i sure as heck aint gonna be one of them.

 

Why are you taking so much offense at this? It's been stated over and over that if they weren't plundered by previous employees, there would probably be no reason for such a policy to exist. What's the big deal? No offense intended here, I'm just not understanding why this bothers you so much. This is how life is.

 

Hey....We're just trying to illustrate the fact that certain powers ARE reserved to private corporations regarding hiring/firing, etc.....We ain't trying to **** you off....

But....#3 showed pretty good maturity on your part (leaving the company on good terms)......

Didn't check to see how old you are, but generally the lower-paying, more-restrictive jobs are basically entry-level, and the further along you get when gaining experience, changing jobs, the higher the salary gets, and the more leeway you get in conducting your job (hopefully, a "profession" by now)......Good luck.

 

What sucks is there has been enough theft at Menards that they feel they need to search employees while they leave work.
Trust is a two way street.
Bring that up to your manager.

 

I'm 19. I've worked retail since i was 14. I started in a smaller town with a population less than 10,000 at an ace hardware store. Small mom and pop place, great place to work, good environment, etc. I quit at the age of 17 due to them paying me a grand total of $6.30/hour after 3 years experience. The job had much more informational value than it did monetary. Just about people, and business, and hardware in general. At the age of 18 I worked at Holiday gas station, which was my first real "corprate" experience of retail, only stayed there for a short period of time, like september until march of the following year. I got the job at menards which would be this past April.

For the last 2 summers I worked for a nearby city's water/wastewater department, which was probably why i'm so upset with menards. Basically at the city, i woke up every morning, drove to this city, was at work by 7:30 in the morning, got into my own work truck with my own responsiblities and knowing what they are, i would carry them out. I took alot of pride in that job, because you were recognized for the things you did, and people respected you and trusted you. Probably the best job i've ever had. Then I quit that job because i moved to now a good almost hour one way drive. Now i'm working at menards, where they practially hold your hand through the job, and make you feel like a criminal. I'm just not used to that, and i really dont want to get used to that idea. That would be why i'm taking so much offense to this whole deal. Its just not what i'm used to. And yes, i know the world is full of this crap, and that is what sucks. Plus, if anyone has worked for a smaller department or employer, they know what i'm talking about. But yeah, i dont mean to freak out at you guys, i'm just kinda high blood pressure right now. If nothing else thanks for letting me freak out.

 

--bring your lunch in a paper sack, toss at end of day
-- bring some sort of fish forget to eat lunch and forget to bring cooler home for a few weeks, will be the last time anyone asks you to show them the lunch box


now..... Did you buy your bathroom doorknob from menards?

 

Let me give you one that will make you feel real bad (since you mentioned automotive stuff as a possible future job) I used to be a mechanic at a Chev garage, we had to furnish our own tools, well snap on used to give out calenders with topless women on them, well at the time I was working a mech in a different garage had one of those calenders in his drawer of his personal tool box. During his lunch hour one of the secrataries from the front wanted a screwdriver for some reason and just walked into the shop opened his tool box to get one found the calender and was offended, proceeded to sue both the mechanic and the dealership and won a $50,000 sexual harrasment lawsuit over it. Now that wasn't stuck on teh top of the tool box it was in a closed drawer were the only way to find it was to search through his personal tools. Now think about the note again and hope the person searching your cooler as per company policy (rather than just pifering through your stuff without your knowledge) doesn't sue you for sexual harrasment.