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Who is responsible for the keys?

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  • Who is responsible for the keys?

    Wife just called me with a predicament she's in: As the manager of the store she works at, she's normally responsible for carrying the store keys around. Today, she had to make a trip to the bank, so she left the keys with another associate in case they needed them for anything.

    She comes back, and forgets to ask for the keys back. Then employee goes home for the day, with the keys. She needs those keys back to lock up tonight.

    If you were in charge, who would you deem is responsible for getting the keys to the store? On the one hand, the manager is in charge and should have asked for them back. Therefore, she should go to the employees house and get them. On the other hand, the other employee had possession of the keys and was responsible for making sure she didn't take them home. Therefore, she should bring them back.

    Or they compromise and meet halfway. It's not a short drive, it's something like 20 miles one way between store and employees house.

    What would you do?

  • #2
    I think that there is plenty of responsibility for both parties to share. I would think that the employee should bring them back to the store. I also think that anyone not making manager pay should be able to say "no thanks" the next time the manager's keys are offered.

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    • #3
      I'm on the fence on this one.

      On one hand, your wife is a keyholder and is responsible for her keys. She should have NOT given anyone else but another manager her keys, no matter how trustworthy the other employee is. Unless the employee was another keyholder, then the keys should not have left your wife's hand.

      On the other hand, the employee should have realized that their pockets were a bit heavier then normal. Or had another set of keys they didn't remember coming to work with. This employee, upon realizing this, should have gone right around and brought the keys back -- or not taken the keys in the first place.

      I think there should be a compremise between the two, meeting halfway.
      Eh, one day I'll have something useful here. Until then, have a cookie or two.

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      • #4
        At my workplace, if an employee goes home with a set of keys, they HAVE to bring it back IMMEDIATELY after the discretion is discovered, no ifs, ands, or buts.

        Of course, those are keys that the employee checks out during their shift. Since it was your wife's keys, I think some of the responsibility is shared. I think most of the responsibility still falls to the employee, though. The one who removes the keys from the property should have to bring them back and return them.
        Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.

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        • #5
          I would go with shared responsibility on this one.

          What I would do in your wife's position would be call the employee who inadvertantly left with the keys and ask if they'd be willing to bring the keys back to the store, and maybe offer $5 or $10 for gas/time for doing so (which would, for me, be dependent on the attitude of the employee in question since the money would be out of my personal pocket). Otherwise, offer to meet the employee halfway somewhere, and as a very last resort go to the employee's house to pick up the keys.
          You're only delaying the inevitable, you run at your own expense. The repo man gets paid to chase you. ~Argabarga

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          • #6
            I'm also of the shared responsibility camp.

            ^-.-^
            Faith is about what you do. It's about aspiring to be better and nobler and kinder than you are. It's about making sacrifices for the good of others. - Dresden

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            • #7
              What would I do?

              It depends on who would be in the deepest shit if the keys aren't returned. Chances are that would be me as the keyholder and the person in charge.

              I'd probably ask the employee to meet me halfway. But if he wouldn't do that, then I'd suck it up and go get them. Because if it would be on MY ass if they aren't where they are supposed to be, then it's in MY best interest to make sure they are.

              Mind you, I'd be muttering and cursing up a storm about it, but that's what I'd do in that situation.
              The best karma is letting a jerk bash himself senseless on the wall of your polite indifference.

              The stupid is strong with this one.

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              • #8
                I have to agree with Dips. I've been regular staff and I've been management, so I am looking at it from both sides.
                Labor boards have info on local laws for free
                HR believes the first person in the door
                Learn how to go over whackamole bosses' heads safely
                Document everything
                CS proves Dunning-Kruger effect

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                • #9
                  I personally think that it is your wife's because it's her keys. Is she even allowed to hand off the keys like that? It may be unofficial policy, but what about official policy? I understand the employees would flip out if they needed an override or something like that, but she should have asked for them back the moment she stepped back into the store.

                  Plus if the person doesn't usually hold the keys, then it's not normal for them to remember to turn them in before they leave.

                  Your wife was trying to be nice by leaving them the keys, but I honestly think she should drive or pay someone to drive out there to get the keys.

                  Now, if it is something that is like electronic keys that were shared among the coworkers and the coworkers regularly kept them in their pockets, then the coworker who took them home should bring them back. This sounds like either it is a set the person didn't handle often since it's a manager's set or it was issued to your wife, which would make it more your wife's responsibility.
                  Last edited by emt_cookies; 12-01-2011, 07:43 PM.

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                  • #10
                    I'm thinking shared responsibility, but the handling of it would be case by case and ultimately, it's the manager's ass if something happens to the keys.

                    Is it a good employee? Does he/she take public transportation or need a sitter? I'd expect the manager to be reasonable in the request that the employee return with the keys and I'd expect the manager to retrieve them if necessary.
                    A lion however, will only devour your corpse, whereas an SC is not sated until they have destroyed your soul. (Quote per infinitemonkies)

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                    • #11
                      Similar situation happened a few months back at Arquebus Motor Freight. Policy is that for any truck left on the company lot, the keys have to be left at the guard shack (even owner-operator trucks, in case it needs to be moved). A company driver went home, and took the keys with him. The truck was needed (slip seating) to make an oh-dark-thirty delivery, and nobody was on duty who could authorize the use of another truck.

                      Forgetful employee had to come back to bring in the keys, and the delivery appointment was missed.
                      Any fool can piss on the floor. It takes a talented SC to shit on the ceiling.

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