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Is that really security theater if they removed his access to the building, alerted management, and sent out security reminders that he should have have access

Is that really security theater if they removed his access to the building, alerted management, and sent out security reminders that he should have have access to the building? What's the "Theater" part? That sounds like better security than most companies where they have a hard time just removing an employee's access, and even if they do, they have no established process to tell employees that he shouldn't be allowed in. I left my badge at home once, I was wearing my company logo jacket and tailgated in behind a couple employees I didn't know, one even held the door open for me. If I'd been terminated and banned from the office, I'd have had no trouble getting back into the office. We've instituted a "no-tailgating" policy since then, but there's no enforcement and is widely ignored.

GauntletWizard 5y ago
The point is not that it was not effective - It was plenty effective. The part that makes it theatrical is that the employee was of no threat to anyone. His panic attack was caused by the (perceived) threat of being forced into a public gathering, and injury was added to insult by the actual threat of having security "escort" him from the building.
unfocussed_mike 5y ago
What it sounds like is a company that screwed up, offended someone who was easily upset, made that person panic, confronted him, made it worse, and then used company policies that are only necessary in the USA to stop him returning in case he returned to do harm. It's not theatre but it sure sounds theatrical, when they could have apologised, given him some time to regroup his emotions and then left it at that. When I was much younger I had a nervous breakdown at work during a period of extreme personal stress -- I really absolutely and totally lost the plot. Quite probably upset a lot of people, many of whom did not see me the same afterwards. Though more fallout for me personally; it was difficult to be there and my reaction undermined me. I was treated with enormous -- and I must say on reflection completely unearned -- respect and at no point did the company feel they had to do this. Because I'm not in the USA. It's worth considering that many places in the USA seem to think the problem in their culture with violent crime is not guns but the fact that mentally ill people can get guns and weaponry of all sorts. What follows from that is company policy that seriously upset people must necessarily be treated as a threat. And this sort of "bar him from the building because he panicked" outcome is the logical conclusion of this attitude.
Freak_NL 5y ago
'No-tailgating' is really, really hard to enforce. I work in a shared office building with a keycard door, and people are genuinely surprised and angry if you don't hold the door even if you don't personally know them and can't vouch for them (which is most of the time). It is a really strong bit of social conditioning not to shut a door in someone's face! So during security audits you can now tick the box that access to the premises is secure, while in reality anyone can just follow random people in. Now carry a box that requires two hands, wear a lanyard with a card hinting at being some kind of courier, and not a soul will stop you unless the building has actual security.
- jimmygrapes 5y ago
  It's pretty easy to fix actually but it's an expense and a visual negative: full body turnstiles triggers by valid ID.
  - jrootabega 5y ago
    Yep. Any company that tells employees to prevent tailgating and check ids is just giving them guard duties without training, pay, or weapons. My fantasy response is "I'm not a security guard."

GauntletWizard 5y ago

The point is not that it was not effective - It was plenty effective. The part that makes it theatrical is that the employee was of no threat to anyone. His panic attack was caused by the (perceived) threat of being forced into a public gathering, and injury was added to insult by the actual threat of having security "escort" him from the building.

unfocussed_mike 5y ago

What it sounds like is a company that screwed up, offended someone who was easily upset, made that person panic, confronted him, made it worse, and then used company policies that are only necessary in the USA to stop him returning in case he returned to do harm. It's not theatre but it sure sounds theatrical, when they could have apologised, given him some time to regroup his emotions and then left it at that. When I was much younger I had a nervous breakdown at work during a period of extreme personal stress -- I really absolutely and totally lost the plot. Quite probably upset a lot of people, many of whom did not see me the same afterwards. Though more fallout for me personally; it was difficult to be there and my reaction undermined me. I was treated with enormous -- and I must say on reflection completely unearned -- respect and at no point did the company feel they had to do this. Because I'm not in the USA. It's worth considering that many places in the USA seem to think the problem in their culture with violent crime is not guns but the fact that mentally ill people can get guns and weaponry of all sorts. What follows from that is company policy that seriously upset people must necessarily be treated as a threat. And this sort of "bar him from the building because he panicked" outcome is the logical conclusion of this attitude.

Freak_NL 5y ago

'No-tailgating' is really, really hard to enforce. I work in a shared office building with a keycard door, and people are genuinely surprised and angry if you don't hold the door even if you don't personally know them and can't vouch for them (which is most of the time). It is a really strong bit of social conditioning not to shut a door in someone's face! So during security audits you can now tick the box that access to the premises is secure, while in reality anyone can just follow random people in. Now carry a box that requires two hands, wear a lanyard with a card hinting at being some kind of courier, and not a soul will stop you unless the building has actual security.

jimmygrapes 5y ago
It's pretty easy to fix actually but it's an expense and a visual negative: full body turnstiles triggers by valid ID.
- jrootabega 5y ago
  Yep. Any company that tells employees to prevent tailgating and check ids is just giving them guard duties without training, pay, or weapons. My fantasy response is "I'm not a security guard."