Can my employer force me to..........

[stracci2000]

.....get a pass to go onto the military base?
I work for a national retail company. They have people that go to the commissaries on military bases to do work there, but that is not my group.
As it turns out, they started a new program, and suddenly they want me and some of my co-workers to do retail work in the commissaries. This means that I will have to get a DBIDS/SECNAV pass to get in.
I am not comfortable with this, as I understand it entails a background check, fingerprinting, face and iris analysis, etc. And I have to provide my birth certificate and proof of residency.
I have nothing to hide, but this rubs me the wrong way.
Can my employer force me to get this pass?

 

[marymm]

I don't think your employer can force you but if it is part of their usual retail business and your whole group/class/department is designated to be available for commissary assignment, your noncompliance may be grounds for termination.

 

[missy]

I don’t know @stracci2000. I’m sorry you’re going through this.

 

[missy]

Just want to add even if they can’t legally force you they could make work life more difficult if they choose to do so
A hostile work environment if you will. I hope that won’t be the case for you. I hope they just let you decline and find someone else. Good luck with this @stracci2000

 

[stracci2000]

I don't think your employer can force you but if it is part of their usual retail business and your whole group/class/department is designated to be available for commissary assignment, your noncompliance may be grounds for termination.

Yeah, that's what I'm thinking, too.
I don't want to be the squeaky wheel.
But forcing us all to provide all these documents to the military is overreaching and intrusive.

 

[stracci2000]

they could make work life more difficult if they choose to do so

Maybe. It sucks!
I don't want a background check. I wonder about my co-workers. Some of them might have felonies or something. Who knows?

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

The army already have all my details
But i understand your hesitation
Here the govt take heal blood from babies to screen for health conditions and they keep it on file for life
they say its unassable

But my friend, who's a cop who works in forensics says they can apply to a judge for access

The way the world is and the way records gets hacked these days its not so much the govt having access that worries me (although i don't like it) its that govt depts the world over seem to be continuously hacked and anybody could have your records

Also how often to you hear of dumb govt workers who leave work laptops on public transport

I don't want you to jepodise your job @stracci2000
And i remember when i was in the army those shops on base were awsome
Good luck but be careful
its not easy getting a job right now

 

[YadaYadaYada]

As far as I know if you are an at-will employee they can terminate for almost any reason as long as it doesn’t violate the law. Unless you are protected by a union it seems like you are at their mercy. This is just based on experience DH has had at work.

 

[missy]

As far as I know if you are an at-will employee they can terminate for almost any reason as long as it doesn’t violate the law. Unless you are protected by a union it seems like you are at their mercy. This is just based on experience DH has had at work.

This is very true. Greg (and I was too when I was working) is an at will employee. Even with a contract they can terminate anyone at anytime for any reason. :/

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

This is very true. Greg (and I was too when I was working) is an at will employee. Even with a contract they can terminate anyone at anytime for any reason. :/

What kind of a slack labour laws do you (not) have in your country ???

 

[missy]

What kind of a slack labour laws do you (not) have in your country ???

You perform or you’re out. Lol that is capitalism.

 

[stracci2000]

As far as I know if you are an at-will employee they can terminate for almost any reason as long as it doesn’t violate the law. Unless you are protected by a union it seems like you are at their mercy. This is just based on experience DH has had at work.

I used to be in the union when I worked in the grocery store, but not now.
So it sounds like I have to comply or get canned!
Oh well.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

You perform or you’re out. Lol that is capitalism.

If your employer is less than ethical it sounds like a very slippery slope

 

[missy]

If your employer is less than ethical it sounds like a very slippery slope

True dat.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

True dat.

You know as a life time conservative i was always anti union but Bruce Springsteen made me read Steinbeck and the next day i joined the union

 

[nkc]

@stracci2000 Usually, your job description will list your roles and responsibilities and your employer's expectations. At least, this is what I'm familiar with. For example, if 24/7 availability during emergencies or travel is expected, the job description will state this and you will be made aware of it before you accept/ sign the job offer.
If you don't have access to you offer letter or the job description for your position, would you be able to request this from HR?
However, if you are an "at will" employee (most or all employees are), your employer does not need a reason to terminate you.
Is it possible to speak to your manager and ask if sending another employee is an acceptable options for the company?

 

[kenny]

I believe all 50 states have their own laws covering employment.
If so it would be hard to answer.

Perhaps there is some state government entity that could answer your question.

 

[seaurchin]

In ways, employers act like dictators over their employees. For just one example, here your employer can fire you if you test positive for marijuana, even if you smoked it during your vacation in a location where it's legal. That wouldn't be my hill to die on but it does seem an infringement on personal rights for them to be involved in what you do legally when you're off work.

 

[stracci2000]

Is it possible to speak to your manager and ask if sending another employee is an acceptable options for the company?

There is another group who handle the commissaries, but they don't have a certain handheld device that I have, and that we use for certain retail reporting.
It would make sense to just give these people their own device, so that they can do the work, instead of making
22 people, just in my region(who knows how many more nationwide) to comply with this, and get the special pass.

I will ask my manager, but I'm afraid in the end I will just have to cave in and go along with it.

 

[Arcadian]

When it comes to military bases, things kinda change. In general I would say no, your employer can't tell you you need to do these things, but once you're talking about a military base, that goes out the window. That also includes working in a US federal building of any type these days.

So, they can't FORCE you, but, you will not be able to work in your capacity at any military base without meeting those requirements. Its a choice you'll have to make (we all do when it comes down to it)

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

There is another group who handle the commissaries, but they don't have a certain handheld device that I have, and that we use for certain retail reporting.
It would make sense to just give these people their own device, so that they can do the work, instead of making
22 people, just in my region(who knows how many more nationwide) to comply with this, and get the special pass.

I will ask my manager, but I'm afraid in the end I will just have to cave in and go along with it.

Just think of all the hot guys in uniform ....

 

[Austina]

Playing devil’s advocate here, if you were in the military, would you feel safe if anyone, without any kind of background checks, be allowed on to the base and potentially endanger your security?

Even as a dental nurse, I had to have a police background check because I worked with vulnerable adults and children.

 

[Daisys and Diamonds]

Playing devil’s advocate here, if you were in the military, would you feel safe if anyone, without any kind of background checks, be allowed on to the base and potentially endanger your security?

Even as a dental nurse, I had to have a police background check because I worked with vulnerable adults and children.

Gary had to get a police check done when his work started doing work putting in security fencing around schools that had special needs children

Once when he lived in a tiny seaside hamlet every male had to give dna when a local teenage was murdered
See - but what happens to the dna once you are cleared ?
The police are surposed to destroy it

 

[missy]

Playing devil’s advocate here, if you were in the military, would you feel safe if anyone, without any kind of background checks, be allowed on to the base and potentially endanger your security?

Even as a dental nurse, I had to have a police background check because I worked with vulnerable adults and children.

This is so true. I did my residency at West Point and stayed on for a number of years afterwards. I had to submit to a background check, fingerprinting etc. Sure I was young and I didn't even give it a second thought but if I had to do all over again I would do this without hesitation. It was an amazing experience working there. Of course your situation is entirely different and you have to make the best choice for you. Just sharing my experience and thoughts and agreeing with @Austina. It is important they make sure everyone coming on base is not a risk to their (and our) security.

 

[stracci2000]

@Austina @missy
I appreciate your comments!

I'm not trying to get on the base without the pass.
That's not my point.
My point is that my employer wants me to go though all this scrutiny to get a pass to go to the commissary, when they already have people doing this job, who have the pass.

It's not that the commissary is far away or will be a hard job to do.
But they already have people going in there, and now they want me to go in there, which entails getting this pass.

 

[stracci2000]

@missy @Austina
And believe me, this is not rewarding work, like medical, working with children, helping people, or anything worthwhile.

If I told you about the silly task I will be performing there, you would laugh and say "That is just stupid! You have to go through all this trouble for that?"

So that's part of my problem, too. It's pointless retail work.

 

[missy]

And believe me, this is not rewarding work, like medical, working with children, helping people, or anything worthwhile.

If I told you about the silly task I will be performing there, you would laugh and say "That is just stupid! You have to go through all this trouble for that?"

So that's part of my problem, too. It's pointless retail work.

@stracci2000 can you just tell them you prefer not going onto the military base and stop at further explanation. Just thinking out loud here. Since they already have people who deliver to base do they really need you to and perhaps they were just asking and they aren’t dead set on having you do this?

 

[stracci2000]

@stracci2000 can you just tell them you prefer not going onto the military base and stop at further explanation. Just thinking out loud here. Since they already have people who deliver to base do they really need you to and perhaps they were just asking and they aren’t dead set on having you do this?

Well, the regional manager is already questioning the documents required to get this pass. They have mentioned that 2 photo IDs, birth certificate, and proof of residency are required, which sounds like a big problem for 22 people in my region(and many more nationwide) to come up with.

So perhaps this will fall apart before it gets started.
It's a long shot, but I'm hoping.

 

[missy]

Well, the regional manager is already questioning the documents required to get this pass. They have mentioned that 2 photo IDs, birth certificate, and proof of residency are required, which sounds like a big problem for 22 people in my region(and many more nationwide) to come up with.

So perhaps this will fall apart before it gets started.
It's a long shot, but I'm hoping.

Fingers crossed for you @stracci2000.

 

[Ally T]

I had to have a police checks done before i started working at school. I also had to apply for a police background check from when I lived in New Zealand for them too. I had been back in the UK for 12 years by this point, but boy did I have to jump through security hoops.

However, you really need to check your contract of employment. My opinion would be if you are required in there to do any additional tasks as & when requested by your employer, they'll work you out of their employment if you refuse.