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You are getting really hung up on a very tiny edge case. No reasonable manager would punish you for being physically overpowered. That doesn't mean you should e

You are getting really hung up on a very tiny edge case. No reasonable manager would punish you for being physically overpowered. That doesn't mean you should encourage people to ignore the security policy. 99.99% of the time, saying to the tailgater "you need to swipe" is enough. If you do work somewhere where people are physically trying to break in often, then you ought to have real security personnel.

tbyehl 7y ago
It's also a very tiny edge case that someone is trying to gain improper or unlawful entry to a workplace. It's not my job to put myself at risk in order to stop an intruder. It's not my job to play policy police with my co-workers, either. My employer recognizes this and uses mantraps to physically prevent tailgating at unguarded entries.
- goerz 7y ago
  You don’t have to put yourself at any risk, but if you work in a secure facility, you are usually explicitly required by contract to “play policy police”. That is, report any security violation like someone jumping the turnstile, or not having a badge.
komali2 7y ago
It's not about being punished for being physically overpowered - it's about being a five foot 3 intern and having someone 6'1 250 lbs, in a suit and in a hurry, behind you, tailgating. The implications are enough to make it a shitty situation for such a person have to turn around and say "sorry person that looks c-suite, you can't come in with me."
- Spooky23 7y ago
  If the company handles this correctly, the intern should feel empowered to tell the CEO to get a visitor badge. It’s also a safety issue. In a building evacuation, you should be able to account for every employee or visitor.
  - closeparen 7y ago
    Most sites control entry, not exit, so wouldn't be able to tell whether you had already left.
  - GFischer 7y ago
    Reminds me of Roger Federer being denied entry: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/not-so-fast-roger-federer-blocked-by-australian-open-security/ar-BBSrWr6 https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/not-so-fast-roger-fe... Rules are rules in Australia, even if you are a 20-times Grand Slam champion and one of the most recognizable people on the planet. Roger Federer found that out this week when he was blocked access to a locker room at the Australian Open by a security guard who took his job very seriously. A video circulating Twitter on Saturday showed the Swiss double defending champion stalled at the entrance for lacking his tournament accreditation.
- wil421 7y ago
  I’ve had it done to me when I was hired and they explained we don’t allow tailgating here. Even though they know explicitly who I am, they are my bosses boss, I still need to swipe my badge on every locked door. I’ve done it to VP level and I’d do it to my CIO too. I’d be that guy who badged the CIO but I try to take basic security and company policy seriously. I’d like an intern who is professional enough to “challenge” someone. Not sure I would’ve at that time.
- el_dev_hell 7y ago
  This triggered a memory from my second "real" job. We had a secure building with glass entry turnstyles. In my second week, a suited important-looking person was standing behind the gates at 8:20AM (we started at 8:30AM). It was busy and everyone was ignoring him (that seemed odd). The suited guy picked me from the line of drones going through the turnstyles and asked if he could jump in behind me (he didn't even mention if he worked for the company). I was still doing the HR training program stuff (the general wear deodorant, don't plug in flash drives from outside, don't ask for teamviewer, etc stuff) and the last thing we did the day before was end on the tailgating policy. I told the suited guy that I couldn't let him in due to company policy. He smiled and said "all good" and went back to the corner. He ended up being the head of logistics. Apparently, he liked to scope out the new hires and "test" their compliance. He tried this with 5 or 6 of the new hires and only managed to get let in once. The lady that let him in wasn't fired, but she did get a warning.
- goerz 7y ago
  There’s no need to confront anybody. Just notify security immediately if you see someone go through a security gate without swiping their access card, or if they tailgate you.
chrismcb 7y ago
Then why bother? If most of the time, asking is enough, then why bother at all? Because occasionally a bad actor wants in, I don't want to have to confront a bad actor.

tbyehl 7y ago

It's also a very tiny edge case that someone is trying to gain improper or unlawful entry to a workplace. It's not my job to put myself at risk in order to stop an intruder. It's not my job to play policy police with my co-workers, either. My employer recognizes this and uses mantraps to physically prevent tailgating at unguarded entries.

goerz 7y ago
You don’t have to put yourself at any risk, but if you work in a secure facility, you are usually explicitly required by contract to “play policy police”. That is, report any security violation like someone jumping the turnstile, or not having a badge.

komali2 7y ago

It's not about being punished for being physically overpowered - it's about being a five foot 3 intern and having someone 6'1 250 lbs, in a suit and in a hurry, behind you, tailgating. The implications are enough to make it a shitty situation for such a person have to turn around and say "sorry person that looks c-suite, you can't come in with me."

Spooky23 7y ago
If the company handles this correctly, the intern should feel empowered to tell the CEO to get a visitor badge. It’s also a safety issue. In a building evacuation, you should be able to account for every employee or visitor.
- closeparen 7y ago
  Most sites control entry, not exit, so wouldn't be able to tell whether you had already left.
- GFischer 7y ago
  Reminds me of Roger Federer being denied entry: https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/not-so-fast-roger-federer-blocked-by-australian-open-security/ar-BBSrWr6 https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/tennis/not-so-fast-roger-fe... Rules are rules in Australia, even if you are a 20-times Grand Slam champion and one of the most recognizable people on the planet. Roger Federer found that out this week when he was blocked access to a locker room at the Australian Open by a security guard who took his job very seriously. A video circulating Twitter on Saturday showed the Swiss double defending champion stalled at the entrance for lacking his tournament accreditation.
wil421 7y ago
I’ve had it done to me when I was hired and they explained we don’t allow tailgating here. Even though they know explicitly who I am, they are my bosses boss, I still need to swipe my badge on every locked door. I’ve done it to VP level and I’d do it to my CIO too. I’d be that guy who badged the CIO but I try to take basic security and company policy seriously. I’d like an intern who is professional enough to “challenge” someone. Not sure I would’ve at that time.
el_dev_hell 7y ago
This triggered a memory from my second "real" job. We had a secure building with glass entry turnstyles. In my second week, a suited important-looking person was standing behind the gates at 8:20AM (we started at 8:30AM). It was busy and everyone was ignoring him (that seemed odd). The suited guy picked me from the line of drones going through the turnstyles and asked if he could jump in behind me (he didn't even mention if he worked for the company). I was still doing the HR training program stuff (the general wear deodorant, don't plug in flash drives from outside, don't ask for teamviewer, etc stuff) and the last thing we did the day before was end on the tailgating policy. I told the suited guy that I couldn't let him in due to company policy. He smiled and said "all good" and went back to the corner. He ended up being the head of logistics. Apparently, he liked to scope out the new hires and "test" their compliance. He tried this with 5 or 6 of the new hires and only managed to get let in once. The lady that let him in wasn't fired, but she did get a warning.
goerz 7y ago
There’s no need to confront anybody. Just notify security immediately if you see someone go through a security gate without swiping their access card, or if they tailgate you.

chrismcb 7y ago

Then why bother? If most of the time, asking is enough, then why bother at all? Because occasionally a bad actor wants in, I don't want to have to confront a bad actor.