I used to work in a small PC shop, they paid us minimum wage and worked us 48/54 hour weeks (One week on one week off weekends & long shifts) To add insult to injury at 7pm they would lock up the shop and then come and check us with metal detectors and go through our bags - added an extra half hour to the day as many of us did a car share so could only leave when then last person was checked.
At the time it didn't bother me as it was a first job in IT and I didn't really know that it wasn't the norm... Looking back none of us should have stood for the conditions there - metal roofed warehouse with no airflow so boiling in summer and no heating so freezing in winter.
The ridiculous bit was when the owners found out I could "do web stuff" I was given the job of selling off all of the old stock and second hand crap that no one else wanted, this meant that I was given a key to the stock room where I could remove items pack them up and put them in my OWN car boot so that I could then drive them to the post office.
No one ever checked waht was taken out, what went into the car or that the stuff I was posting had been paid for - had I wanted to I could have sent myself anything I wanted - obviously I didnt but I could. They still insisted that I was scanned at the end of the night though - even though if I had nicked anything Id have had ample opportunity to do so during any of the many times during the day that I came and went of my own accord.
None of the other staff were checked when going for fag breaks or for lunch, so I assume any thefts that took place happened during the day rather than at the end of the night!
Biting the hand that feeds IT
