Have you ever been walked out of a job by security?

I know some companies, if they are afraid they might do something like load a virus into the computer system, will if they are being let go, basically have security come in and walk them out.

In some when they show up they are just given a box and told to clean out their desks. I know in one case where they were shutting the whole department employees were only allowed in in small groups to collect personal items.

Have you ever seen this?

It’s never happened to me, but I’ve seen it many times. I work in tech and its pretty common.

I just want to point out that , for white collar workers, being walked out is rude,humiliating,scary etc…

But for blue collar workers, it’s always been normal . At factories , warehouses, etc…they let you work your shift, then as you’re leaving, tell you not to come back.
Instead of being worried about computer hacking, they’re worried about physical damage.

It can be, but as a tech worker we have access to all sorts of things that could cripple a company. Most people accept it as part of the package - we typically get good severance and various other benefits which soften the blow. Being escorted out by security isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things.

Never worked anywhere with “security”. Then again, never been fired.

The boss himself. I came back from lunch, noticed my login would not work. He came over and said, “It’s not working out, pack up your stuff”. He walked me out the door.

Best day of the last 10 years, I’d say in retrospect.

It isnt always being fired. Sometimes they are just closing down a department and downsizing and your caught in it.

Or maybe the company has been bought out or just got outsourced.

As I said I know at Sprint one time they did this where they had only small groups of employees allowed to come in and get personal items.

Not by Security, but I got walked out by my supervisor at one job. The company has a mass layoff, and he was following procedure.

I had to come back, anyway. I had so many books that there was no way to pack them all up and take them with me. I had to come back with empty boxes to get most of them. So the whole point of being escorted out was lost, really.

God, no. Even the job I was fired from a decade ago let me walk out under my own power and return my company phone the next day after offloading my personal contacts and texts.

Not quite, but when I quit my last job my manager waited at my desk while I packed up (not that there was much left, since I knew I was quitting and I knew policy I’d emptied out 90% of my stuff the previous week), and then walked me to the door where he took my badge.

My gf (in advertising) always stresses this distinction when I use “fired”. To me, if you no longer work there, are not getting a paycheck, won’t be back in a week, etc then the distinction between fired/laid off/etc is pretty meaningless.

My dad’s company had a drastic downsizing last year and a lot of people were let go by phone, with their personal stuff from their desks mailed to them.

Not by security, but by the boss (or the guy about three rungs up the ladder, anyway) - taken back to my desk with a plastic bag for my stuff, then escorted to the door and relieved of my security pass. It was a big redundancy day and about 90 of us got the same during the course of the day.

Everyone in the department I worked in was laid off a few years ago.

Our usual morning meeting was already scheduled so we were all in the meeting room chatting over our coffee completely clueless as to what was coming. The boss came in followed by some HR people. We were told about the lay off and loads of other info and given good bye packets and what not (no breakfast pastries.:mad:) When they were done with us we walked out into the hallway. It was lined with “security” people they hired for the occasion about two for every three of us.

They escorted us to our offices watched carefully as we filled a box with our personal items and then escorted us out of the building. Needless to say no one was allowed to log in to their computer. There was much whining about “that was my only e-mail or I have important personal info on the computer.”

After all that coffee and the impending long trip home I asked my “escort” if I could stop at the ladies room on the way out. He let me and he was waiting for me when I got out.

It was a surreal experience; but the best thing that ever happened to me. I hated the place and the people although the work was interesting. I was paid an obscenely large salary with great benefits and would have stayed forever if not for the lay off.

Being escorted out by security could be insulting; but remember:

“It’s not personal. It’s business.”

I had a temp job with the County that had an undetermined end date. The head bitch in charge asked the few other people in my area to leave and then abruptly told me “my contract was being terminated”. It was strange. We’d had no problems (that I knew of) and when I asked if I’d done something wrong she just kept repeating “I’m not obligated to tell you that” :confused: Anyway, she brought in my immediate supervisor ( who was a sweetheart and looked like he might cry) to watch me pack a box . I had brought several things from home, such as desk org. products and such (because govt. office necessarily are “no frills” to the extreme) and I had to go through each item and explain it was mine as I dumped it in the box. He then escorted me out and I must admit I don’t recall who saw me or what was going on around me. I freaking hated working there and in retrospect I am glad I never have to set foot there, or even in the befucked city in which it is located (Clearwater, Floriduhhhh) but at the time it was devastating. All that being said, I can understand why a government entity would have to do things that way (though why the head boss had to be such a cunt about it, I do not know).

Having been fired as well as laid off/downsized during my long and winding working life, the biggest difference is that in the latter case, you can generally collect unemployment benefits.

Been laid off twice now and both times I was escorted out by a member of the HR staff not security.

I suspect if it had been more of a fired for cause situation there would also have been security or at least a second person.

Never happened to me but in the last year I’ve seen it several times. The other thing this company seems known for is not telling someone they are fired until they get to work; your badge to get in doesn’t work and security (and sometimes HR) hands you a box with the stuff from your locker. “Surprise – you don’t have a job anymore.” Makes it interesting going to work some days.

“I’m not obligated to tell you that” was code for “I can’t say anything because I might slip and say something stupid and actionable”

When I quit my job at an automotive chemical company they had security walk me out with an open box of my things. They knew for six weeks I’d be leaving and still on the last day, about an hour before I was supposed to leave, the security guy shows up and makes me walk out with him instead of saying good-bye to all the friends I’d made over the years and enjoying the little party they’d set up to send me off. It was silly and weird. I was a file clerk with no access to anything of any value and if I DID I wouldn’t have waited until I was on my way out the last day to snatch it.