Hello,

As the title says :

I received an email this morning from my company personal department asking for my badge number. The email also states if I am unable to reply with badge number they will assume I've lost my badge and they will charge 50chf for a replacement.

I have my badge but I'm pondering on the legality of this.

How can he tell people they will be charged 50chf if they've lost their badge when nothing is signed legally in the beginning when staff are issued with badges.

thanks

I'm not sure of the legality but I suggest you write a letter to your company's HR Director and tell him to stop wasting your productive chat work time with such frivolity.

or

reply with your badge no. and be done with it.

Yes, they can and it is very common.

The large multinational that I happen to work for charges Sfr40 for a lost badge, which get paid to the "finders fee" fund that, as stated on on the back of the badge, will be paid to the finder if handed into or sent to the main company address.


Pat

finders fee... we've got the same thing printed on the back of our badge in the event they go missing.. "let us know your name and address and a reward will be sent to you"


the reward = a company keychain.

You can always claim it back as expenses

But surely this cannot be legal.

A company cannot take money out of a paycheck if nothing legally was signed to say "if I loose the badge, you can take xxxchf" ....

I find it difficult to believe "the swiss" would accept this ....

I find it difficult to believe that "you" think its such a big deal.

They give you something of theirs, you lose it, they charge you. What is wrong with that?

As far as the legality goes, there is probably something in your contract about misuse of company property

Yes its a big deal.

If 800 of us loose our badges then they take 40,000 out of our combined December paychecks ......

And for the record, these are not badges, they are small "Kaba" coins that we all get when we join to charge for the coffee machines

Are you going to moan when you have to pay for a new registration plate for your car if you lose it? Or your apartment key?

Why should an employer be obliged to pay for your Kaba loss? You are not their child.

I lost my badge and was charged 50chf for a replacement. I could have argued the point with my HR department but in practice I was an idiot for losing it and it does cost them each time a new badge is issued.

I considered it a lesson learned and that I must try harder to not lose it in the future!

thanks to all for advice....

I have my badge !! I didnt loose it !!!

are there a lot of clumsy people in your company???

actually yes rubbish company wont post the name as I'll probably get a ban

Why exactly is this a big deal if you have not actually lost your coin?

The ability of the company to recoup an amount due to loss or damage of company phones, cars, computers, etc. is quite common. The coins belong to the company and must be replaced if lost by an employee, therefore they pass along the cost.

If you are now uncomfortable with this arrangement and don't want to be part of it, tell your employer that you want to turn in your coin. You can then bring your coffee from home or buy it somewhere on your way to work.

Good point ... I think I'll surrender my coin ....

The number on the back isnt even visible anymore anyway

I'd be tempted to reply stating that in the event of the personnel department having lost your badge number you may indeed comply with their request to furnish them with the badge number in exchange, of course, for a CHF 100 information request surcharge

I guess you can guess why I no longer work for a corporate!

Either this is your first job or you've never worked at a company that had id badges... this is std procedure everywhere I've worked

indeed in one particular place my key serial had to be decommissioned in the security system of the security company so that no one who found my key could access the building - this you can imagine also has its costs...

We have the same sense of humor I drafted a similar email but a colleague "advised" me to delete it

Working at an airport, if you lose your access badge, you have to pay for replacement as well. And if you keep losing it, they'll stop replacing it, which means your employer will have to decide how much do they really value your service.

Yes, (sh)it happens. We've all lost badges at one point or another. But in 20+ years of having to wear one to work each day, I've only had to report one lost once. When one develops a sense of responsibility for such a thing, like a cell phone or a wallet, it tends not to get lost so easily.

__________________
I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. - Pietro Aretino

Yup, this is normal. In my company, it is stated in some policy. Can't remember how much and I don't intend on losing my badge to find out!