Can a security guard do double duties on two different sites.
On one site he worked for 8 hours and then without any break he does 8 hours duty on other site. Is it authorized? Is this a violation of any government guideline.Agency is involved in this and some favorite guards are doing these extra duties
From India, Delhi
On one site he worked for 8 hours and then without any break he does 8 hours duty on other site. Is it authorized? Is this a violation of any government guideline.Agency is involved in this and some favorite guards are doing these extra duties
From India, Delhi
This is absolutely illegal. Continuous 16 hours duty on continuous basis is not possible by any person where quality of service will be bad, OT will be required to pay and not at all accepted in any present labor laws in India. This is common practice by many security agencies and the security guards for earning more money also agree to the proposal. This is social evil. PE should put its foot down and raise objection strongly.
S K Bandyopadhyay ( WB, Howrah)
CEO-USD HR Solutions
+91 98310 81531
USD HR Solutions – To Strive towards excellence with effort and integrity
From India, New Delhi
336S K Bandyopadhyay ( WB, Howrah)
CEO-USD HR Solutions
+91 98310 81531
USD HR Solutions – To Strive towards excellence with effort and integrity
From India, New Delhi
Not at all acceptable and contractor is resorting to a very illegal practice, a clear violation of laws.
From India, Aizawl
From India, Aizawl
Dear Amit,
I wish before raising the query, you had asked the simple questions:
a) Where do the security personnel do their duty? The reply is they do their duties in an open environment. Yes, they may have a small outbuilding to assist their duties, but they cannot sit inside forever and they have to go on the rounds.
b) What is the nature of their duties? The reply is: since they work in an open environment, forever they are exposed to sunlight, rain or cold in the winter. The night duties are challenging because when we enjoy the comforts of our blankets, they don't have this luxury.
c) What is the primary purpose of their duties? The primary purpose of their duties is to safeguard or protect the assets of the building. They are responsible for human and material security.
If the security personnel are told to work in their right earnest, the work becomes too arduous and no security personnel can work beyond eight hours. Nevertheless, many or even almost all employers make them work for 12 hours which is 1.5 shifts. This is because making them work for 12 hours has become almost a norm and also getting the security guards has become difficult. Because of the lure of overtime (OT), today hardly a security guard agrees to work for eight hours.
In India, private security has become a big sham. They may not be trained properly on fire and safety. Their physical fitness is also questionable. Security guards are nothing but installed stooges. Ask them the basics of their duties and they will not be able to tell you. Nevertheless, we the Indians are so accustomed to living with pretensions that a collapse of the bridge kills more than 140 persons and still, it does not affect our moral compass.
Now from 12 hours, you wish to extend their duties to 16 hours. Keeping the legality of the decision apart, the decision will fail the principles of security itself. No human can work efficiently in an open environment after 12 hours. Therefore, such risks can be taken provided one is ready to compromise with the security assets.
Lastly, have you worked for 16 hours a day? If yes, then for how many days? Yours would be inbound duties. Therefore, the experiment is worth doing. The experiment will give you a perfect reply to your query!
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
I wish before raising the query, you had asked the simple questions:
a) Where do the security personnel do their duty? The reply is they do their duties in an open environment. Yes, they may have a small outbuilding to assist their duties, but they cannot sit inside forever and they have to go on the rounds.
b) What is the nature of their duties? The reply is: since they work in an open environment, forever they are exposed to sunlight, rain or cold in the winter. The night duties are challenging because when we enjoy the comforts of our blankets, they don't have this luxury.
c) What is the primary purpose of their duties? The primary purpose of their duties is to safeguard or protect the assets of the building. They are responsible for human and material security.
If the security personnel are told to work in their right earnest, the work becomes too arduous and no security personnel can work beyond eight hours. Nevertheless, many or even almost all employers make them work for 12 hours which is 1.5 shifts. This is because making them work for 12 hours has become almost a norm and also getting the security guards has become difficult. Because of the lure of overtime (OT), today hardly a security guard agrees to work for eight hours.
In India, private security has become a big sham. They may not be trained properly on fire and safety. Their physical fitness is also questionable. Security guards are nothing but installed stooges. Ask them the basics of their duties and they will not be able to tell you. Nevertheless, we the Indians are so accustomed to living with pretensions that a collapse of the bridge kills more than 140 persons and still, it does not affect our moral compass.
Now from 12 hours, you wish to extend their duties to 16 hours. Keeping the legality of the decision apart, the decision will fail the principles of security itself. No human can work efficiently in an open environment after 12 hours. Therefore, such risks can be taken provided one is ready to compromise with the security assets.
Lastly, have you worked for 16 hours a day? If yes, then for how many days? Yours would be inbound duties. Therefore, the experiment is worth doing. The experiment will give you a perfect reply to your query!
Thanks,
Dinesh Divekar
From India, Bangalore
This is a reality done by the agency in collusion with the guards concerned. In my experience, I have seen that a gang of 20-25 guards coming from a locality and stay together, the guards do two-shift duty or 12-hour duty but their salary will be drawn on a single-duty basis. They do it continuously for two-three months and then they go home for a period equivalent to their extra days earned. They are paid for these days. On paper, the arrangement looks perfect and smooth.
The nature of the duty of these guards would be light, mostly sitting and occasionally dozing off. It is physically not possible to do 16 hours of continuous strenuous duty.
Obviously the arrangement is illegal and improper
From India, Mumbai
The nature of the duty of these guards would be light, mostly sitting and occasionally dozing off. It is physically not possible to do 16 hours of continuous strenuous duty.
Obviously the arrangement is illegal and improper
From India, Mumbai
If the contractor agency deploys his manpower for double duties continuously its illeagal.
If the guards does 8 hours duty as security guard and relieved off his duty, he is free and no body can question what he is doing in his free time.
However for the want of more money guards opt to do double duties.etc.
Contractors are bound by the law to provide services.hence if it is found that his guards are doing double duties it can be termed as illegal.
Having said this, it is therefore important on part of PE to ensure desired quality in services through implementation of strict procedures and measures on contractor.
Security services has become more of fashion than profession.
A good guarding system needs guards who are trained,verified and being controlled by best of operational procedures.
Also PE should opt to hire agencies which has proven track record and Pay as per the legal wages standards as per govt notifications.
Legal or unethical, the business of security services calls for much more awareness and regulatory intervention and I believe that those PEs who hire security services have greater role to play in this.
Profiteering in security business has ruined the standard and decorum of security services.
And contractors PE both are equally responsible for this.
We may cry out on legal or illegal issues but when it comes to business and money,people in security services just ignore to own the reaponsibility.
From India, Vadodara
If the guards does 8 hours duty as security guard and relieved off his duty, he is free and no body can question what he is doing in his free time.
However for the want of more money guards opt to do double duties.etc.
Contractors are bound by the law to provide services.hence if it is found that his guards are doing double duties it can be termed as illegal.
Having said this, it is therefore important on part of PE to ensure desired quality in services through implementation of strict procedures and measures on contractor.
Security services has become more of fashion than profession.
A good guarding system needs guards who are trained,verified and being controlled by best of operational procedures.
Also PE should opt to hire agencies which has proven track record and Pay as per the legal wages standards as per govt notifications.
Legal or unethical, the business of security services calls for much more awareness and regulatory intervention and I believe that those PEs who hire security services have greater role to play in this.
Profiteering in security business has ruined the standard and decorum of security services.
And contractors PE both are equally responsible for this.
We may cry out on legal or illegal issues but when it comes to business and money,people in security services just ignore to own the reaponsibility.
From India, Vadodara
Really I laughed on this question. Because in IT sector this is a common thing. People do one shift and never go home. They do next shift also. When they are crazy for money why not the security guard?
There should not be one rule for one kind of workmen and different rule for other kind of workman. No need to argue that he has to be awake. In both cases both are to be awake and there is no superiority.
But the IT people walk out by calling their colleague for coffee or snacks or rest room, but the Security are deprived of even a glass of drinking water as they have at the mercy of some one if they lent a heart of their by getting them drinking water.
They too are human and rest room is a human nature call. How are you going to address it?
During Covid I read a news article by video and news that
A truck was coming on the Highway and there was a Lady Police Officer there. She was desperate that she need a rest room at that time.
The Truck Driver helped her by taking her to the nearing Petrol Station and after that dropping her at the duty point.
So Human we must see and different point of view of argument is a shame.
From Saudi Arabia
There should not be one rule for one kind of workmen and different rule for other kind of workman. No need to argue that he has to be awake. In both cases both are to be awake and there is no superiority.
But the IT people walk out by calling their colleague for coffee or snacks or rest room, but the Security are deprived of even a glass of drinking water as they have at the mercy of some one if they lent a heart of their by getting them drinking water.
They too are human and rest room is a human nature call. How are you going to address it?
During Covid I read a news article by video and news that
A truck was coming on the Highway and there was a Lady Police Officer there. She was desperate that she need a rest room at that time.
The Truck Driver helped her by taking her to the nearing Petrol Station and after that dropping her at the duty point.
So Human we must see and different point of view of argument is a shame.
From Saudi Arabia
@Audnis,
You have rightly pointed out the facts about how many hours a person can do work and why people work extra hours etc.
Yet there are various factors why duty hours have been restricted to certain hours by the laws.
Its is to avoid exploitation.
But as you said every one wants to earn more and has liabilities that compel them to work extra.
However in case of contractual work, people are made to work extra, paid less for extra working and benefits go to contractor.In case of security services, this is serious as security is sensitive matter and one can not be on guards and alert always if he does double or triple duties at a stretch.
From India, Vadodara
You have rightly pointed out the facts about how many hours a person can do work and why people work extra hours etc.
Yet there are various factors why duty hours have been restricted to certain hours by the laws.
Its is to avoid exploitation.
But as you said every one wants to earn more and has liabilities that compel them to work extra.
However in case of contractual work, people are made to work extra, paid less for extra working and benefits go to contractor.In case of security services, this is serious as security is sensitive matter and one can not be on guards and alert always if he does double or triple duties at a stretch.
From India, Vadodara
Community Support and Knowledge-base on business, career and organisational prospects and issues - Register and Log In to CiteHR and post your query, download formats and be part of a fostered community of professionals.
Who can be a Security Guard.pdf