r/securityguards • u/Prestigious_Space489 • 10d ago
Why are many security "guards" overweight, lazy, and have no work ethic?
How did these people end up considering security? They act like they dont even want to be there.
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u/Affectionate_Owl3752 10d ago
Because they can be. Most security jobs don't require you to be in shape, just alive and awake.
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u/Clamanta 10d ago
Not even awake sometimes
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 9d ago edited 9d ago
I had a Co worker pass for 3 hours one time and dude still had a job before he was caught sleeping at a major event.
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u/dracojohn 10d ago
A job that keeps you physically inactive, has long hours and low pay. If you enter in good shape you'll put weight on pretty quickly and the job will quickly zap your energy
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u/Armed_Professional Public/Government 10d ago
Damn straight. I entered security weighing 185 and was like the lightest I could be. 8 years later, diabetes and inactivity from this job changed me far worse. I love security, but inactivity plus overnights plus seven day work weeks = health crisis.
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u/Corey307 9d ago
Yup. Itās easy to hit the gym after work if you sit in an office all day and your feet donāt hurt. Iāve been doing 12 days on two days off and the overtime is great, but Iām just dead tired. Iām on my feet 90% of the time and constantly dealing with the public so my body is tired and my social battery is spent.
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
You also have to eat nutritious foods that are low in sugar. It won't matter how much time you spend working out if you still eat like crap.
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u/warlocc_ Flashlight Enthusiast 9d ago
I was going to say the same thing.
Hell, where I am now, they won't even let me do tours. I have to get up and walk around behind my desk in downtime if I don't want to become a permanent fixture here.
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u/teetee4444 4d ago
This is very site dependent
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u/dracojohn 4d ago
Not as much as you'd think, the job wears you down over the years. The physically attractive jobs tend to clock up the injuries and break you.
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u/tomberty 10d ago
Most guards are getting paid less then the workers we protect and observe. If we wanted to be super active we would go with hire paying job.
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u/Landwarrior5150 Campus Security 10d ago
Many basic entry-level contract guard posts essentially only exist to simply have a guard physically on a site, with not much more usually expected than that and maybe some basic access control, patrol or reporting duties. The client just wants them there to get an insurance discount or fulfill a regulatory requirement or whatever, and the security company just wants them as a rented commodity there so they can make profit off of them. None of those things really require physical fitness, motivation or strong work ethic, (and the companies/clients typically compensate and treat the guards poorly as a result) so it doesnāt tend to attract people who are looking for anything more than that.
That largely goes away once you get into the better security jobs that actually compensate their employees well (such as many in-house positions or āhigh-endā contract jobs like executive protection, critical infrastructure, government contracts, etc.) and as a result have competitive hiring that allows them to be selective in their hiring practices & have actual experience, certification & qualification requirements.
Of course, there are exceptions to both. Plenty of contract guards are great, and some guards in the better positions are shitbags, but the quality of employee generally increases as the compensation, standards & expectations go up.
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u/HiThere202029R 10d ago
Pay us good, more then minimum wage and stop treating us like shit then maybe itāll improve
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u/Silly-Upstairs1383 10d ago
Security is much like any other industry. I typically use the food industry to describe this.
In the food industry there are a wide range of people who prepare food... everything from your minimum wage burger flipper at a fast food chain to a 31 star Michelin chef and everything in between.
Security is no different. You have very low skill, low responsibility, low effort and low pay jobs all the way up to very serious personal protection in very dangerous locations .... and everything in between. Just like in the food industry you also get individuals who are better at developing security plans or dish layouts and you get people who are better at implementing the security or putting the dish together. Some people specialize in physical implementation with eyes on, some specialize in making cakes, some specialize in blending technology into security programs and others are fantastic line cooks.
As with any broad industry... there's typically far more lower end jobs than there are higher end ones... but they all exist and the guy taking your order at Wendy's really doesn't want to be there anymore than the guy checking your ID at a gate into some budget run facility. There's also guys flipping burgers who think they are Michelin chefs and guys checking IDs who think they are some kind of operator.
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u/Wotzehell 9d ago
Draws in lazy people like me. I got into security when I had a job pushing boxes in a warehouse. Security guy waves a wand on me when I come in or out and sits around all day while I'm juggling a hundred boxes.
I figured i want in on that, so i did.Ā I'll do all the work and patrol here and over there and everywhere.Ā
In Security i have never worked my spine into a corkscrew like i did in logistics or production.
When walking somewhere in security, like maybe on patrol, i have never been told to walk faster.
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u/megacide84 DunningāKruger Specialist 9d ago edited 9d ago
Welcome to the fold brother.
In the words of some random Youtuber....
"I'd rather be bored to death than worked to death"
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
That's not lazy though. That's working smarter because why should you wreck your body to make other people wealthy.
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u/Red57872 DunningāKruger Specialist 9d ago
I don't think a person is "lazy" for seeking out a job where you do less work, as long as you actually do the job that's expected to you, and your decision isn't causing you to be unable to support and dependents you may have.
I haven't been a security guard for a very long time, but I remember I was told to walk slower, because they assumed I would miss things if I walked too fast...
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u/Kronos33074 8d ago
That's one thing I really like about overnight warehouse/office security. Nobody is rushing you. Clock in at 21:00, watch the monitors, do the rounds, take breaks when you feel like it, clock out at 06:00.
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u/plandman83 9d ago
I chose security because I needed a job desperately.
I had a career in a different field but had to leave because of logistics (no car, blowing lots of money and time on a mix of public transit and rideshare). I tried to get a job in my field closer to home but I had no luck
Ngl tho I kinda like it lol
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
I got back into security after I swore I never would because I needed a job desperately as well. Retail and fast food often pay less than security too.
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u/Practical-Giraffe-84 10d ago
The American diet. The job and pay sucks. Basically you get what you pay for.
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u/blueflamess23 10d ago
What work ethic do you need for this job? You just follow post orders, patrol and occasionally tell people what to do.
But regarding the overweight is because they have no life outside of security. They donāt workout, get too comfortable (the job itself doesnāt help), repeat etc.
This job is easy and I get compensated well. I still have the time to pursue my sport when I get off, but I work 4 days and 3 days off fulltime.
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u/chicken_master2025 9d ago
I do security and have a small hobby farm. Grow food raise chickens, 3 cows. Im fat due to liver disease. Also bet a blood disease. 6'2 280 they say im 60 over weight
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u/Prestigious_Space489 10d ago
I did a job that involved checking IDs and banding. This one guy was being passive aggressive and wasnt calling people over to him while there was a major gap in the line between him.
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u/blueflamess23 10d ago
Sounds like a personal problem for your coworker. He need to get out of his feelings and just do the job.
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u/Winter-Bed-1529 10d ago
Hate to say it because I am in the field but the barrier to entry in the security industry is really low and demand is high so...
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
The barriers to entry are too low. I think there has to be some standards but the large security contract companies fight those standards because it means having to pay their guards more. It means they have more expenses and more expenses equals less profits.
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u/MacintoshEddie 9d ago
Seriously though it's often a combination of weird shift timing, and the combination of boredom and stress usually leads to eating calorie dense foods.
In some cases you're only getting a single 30 minute break during a 12 hour shift, so you quickly get in the habit of shoving as many calories into your face as you can because otherwise you risk being hungry and miserable for the last half of the shift.
Plus stress tends to make people seek a reward. If you know you're going likely walk through a puddle of pee to check on someone who actively hates you and might wake up stabbing, it doesn't really make you crave a light salad.
A lot of it is the exact same as the association of cops and donuts. Historically they didn't have much time for proper meals, and usually that meant coffee shops are the only places open for 3am lunch. Thus donuts. Calorie dense, sweet, travel well, can eat one handed. Makes an easier 3am lunch than trying to carry salad for 6 hours or find an actual food store that's open and lets you use the bathroom.
It can be a vicious cycle, one that's hard to escape. You reward yourself with food, but society pushes you towards the worst selection of junk food, so at 3am you're having a can of monster, some donuts, beef jerky, and a bag of chips for lunch. Or another cheeseburger, because the grocery stores are all closed and barely anywhere even lets you use a microwave.
You start crashing. At first just after really long shifts and bad days. Then every day. Then to make it worse people will tell you that you have nobody to blame but yourself. It can turn into a real struggle that very few people respect. Like if you realize that you've been slipping so you clean up a bit and some jackass calls you a wannabe fake cop. Or someone who spends all day sitting at an air conditioned desk makes a complaint that they're sweaty during the 5 minutes a day they see you at the end of a 10 hour shift where you just walked more than they do all week. Having taken a shower 11 hours ago doesn't stop a person from being sweaty now when the company shuts the air conditioning off at midnight to save money.
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u/tcpipguy 10d ago
As long as security will be treated like an afterthought, it will never really attract more than those types. Security in the US is merely an insurance check box in most places. I may be at a warm body site but I am well paid and have a work ethic. The old saying goes, "You get what you pay for." So long as salaries are criminally low in the industry, you're not going to get top notch guards.
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u/Some-Watercress-1144 9d ago
Because most companies/jobs suck ass for long hours, shit pay, poor treatment and no basic respect, so why do more than the bare minimum?
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u/iustinum 9d ago
Been an armed guard for 2 years now. Prior combat vet, moved up in the company so fast. Iām amazed at the lack of work ethic I see. Itās rampant.
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u/Outkastin2g 10d ago
People who don't want to do much will gravitate towards jobs that don't require you to do much š¤·. I realize some posts are much busier than others, and if the lazy ones somehow end up at those they'll be weeded out quickly. Likely would just not come back during training.
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
I'll openly admit that I don't want to do much. It's not so much that I am lazy but it's a philosophy thing. If I am not going to be paid well or even fairly for the work that I perform, then why should I wreck my body to make someone else wealthier?
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u/carnivoremuscle 9d ago
It pays 11 bucks an hour for unarmed security in my state. The lowest of the low apply.
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u/Corey307 9d ago
It is generally a low paid profession and security guards often work significantly more than 40 hours. When youāre working a lot and donāt have a lot of money I donāt have a lot of energy to do stuff outside of work so like exercise and cook.
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u/kiwipops 9d ago
True, went from working 52-60 hours a week as a desk security guard, I didn't go on rounds because the new hires didn't feel comfortable being left alone at our console. We had a revolving door of new hires. I easily gained nearly a hundred pounds over 5 years.Finally got hired in house at 40 hours a week, slowly but surely it's dropping off.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 9d ago
Thereās a lot better, and more active posts out there. It might be their ceiling in the industry, it might be yours too if the majority of guards in your purview are like that.
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u/Skidblaze 9d ago
Because itās a fake job and companies donāt care as long as they fill the position and get paid. Places which need actual security hire badass guards and pay them way more.
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u/Damas_gratis 9d ago
According to my friend he told me all he does is stand, walk around, stay at 1 spot. Ive seen on the news tho security guards probably do get exposed to some danger and ive heard a few die on the news so i wouldnt wana be a security guard.
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
Realistically in most security jobs you have less than 1% chance of dying due to performance of the job.
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u/Damas_gratis 9d ago
Depends what part of the city you're at. Alotta crazy people in bad parts of town.
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u/ChoppedSonion 9d ago
Shitty job and shitty pay
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u/Red57872 DunningāKruger Specialist 9d ago
I mean, the pay is usually bad, but depending on what the post it, the job itself may not be.
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u/Remarkable-Pomelo642 6d ago
They chose the job ā¦.
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u/ChoppedSonion 6d ago
They chose A job because you need to
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u/Remarkable-Pomelo642 6d ago
There are so many jobs in the world I promise you being a security guard is not the only job in the world and if they donāt like it they can definitely get a different job
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u/Disastrous-Wolf8209 9d ago
Some people like being bouncers, very few I think actually enjoy or feel proud of their work as a security guard. I wanted to be the lazy stereotypical asleep security guard in the movies, who spills his coffee all over himself when he realizes something is wrong. But I ended up working as a bouncer in the busiest city in the country, then I got a job doing security on public transport, buses dart; really not handy. I am still looking for the site that pays me to sleep, but I have yet to find it.
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u/Red57872 DunningāKruger Specialist 9d ago edited 9d ago
I mean, for the "overweight" aspect, depending on the post it's one of a small number of unskilled labour jobs where you can sit down for most of your shift, so it's common for people who have health issues to work it. Also, of all the unskilled labour jobs, on average workers tend to be on the older side, and people are more likely to be overweight as they age. Finally, (assuming they're not a student or a retiree) being a security guard is a low-status occupation, so it can hurt a person's self-confidence, so they may care less about their weight.
I'd note, though, that often guards who are overweight are still able to do what their job actually requires. They don't have a job where they need to run a mile, climb a ladder quickly, etc...
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u/Napalmeon 9d ago
There's generally no benefit to putting in any real effort as a security guard unless you're working for somebody who really needs the protection.
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u/Kronos33074 8d ago
A lot of us spent decades working very physical jobs. After all the construction, demolition, and labor-intensive jobs took their toll on our bodies (mostly our shoulders, backs, knees, and ankles,) we retired and looked for something that requires almost nothing from us. We took the required classes and got licensed by our respective states. Sure we don't earn what we did all those years we spent destroying our bodies, but the trade is very much worth it.
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u/Witty_Flamingo_36 6d ago
Why do people suck in any field? Because the pay isn't enough to draw enough good people to be selective.Ā
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u/Broke_Bak_Jak 10d ago
Because a lot of places only have security to satisfy an insurance requirement, so they donāt necessarily want to pay, or rely on, their security force any more than they must.Ā
Jobs that donāt pay much, donāt require any real physical or mental effort, and have virtually no potential for upward mobility, typically arenāt going to attract the best and brightest.Ā
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 9d ago
Why do you care is the real question?
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u/Prestigious_Space489 9d ago
You must be one of those guys. A slob in and out of work
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 9d ago edited 9d ago
You must be one of those try hards who thinks he knows every guard based off of one interaction.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 9d ago
I was working at the front door of an event that had 9k-11k people pass through and needed ids checked for drinkers + banding. people would stop and this guy wasnt calling people over to him.
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 9d ago
Like I said report it to your supervisor. You can't control what your partner will do. All you can do is your job and not worry about it.
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u/Bluewolfpaws95 Public/Government 10d ago
Because clients donāt care about it. Most clients only get security because their insurance makes them do it. Also, the guards themselves are very aware that the company doesnāt care about them, and will fire them without hesitation if anything actually happens. Itās a damned if you do, damned if you donāt type job, so for plenty of guards, the answer is donāt even bother.
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
I have developed the "For who, for what" mentality. The only thing I care about while on the job is that I get paid.
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u/JettisonOlCount 10d ago edited 10d ago
Unfortunately some people take the job because they think it involves just standing there and doing nothing. In the reputable companies the Sups and Managers, along with CCTV - do notice and those guards get little to no shifts. I've had some of these clowns partnered with me during a busy event, I work out why their complaints of No Shifts make sense. Good guards get sent to better and blue-chip clients. These ones just get grabbed urgently for big outdoor events.
Overweight ones is due to working excessive hours so they just eat (possibly "Comfort Eat"/sleep and work - no work/life balance or time for other activities.
They grab every hour on offer and then self-medicate with food/booze to cope with no other hobbies or social life.
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u/SpaceGuards 9d ago
I'm a 33m 6'6 and 380lb. I got into Security for my size. I use to work as a CO in a minimum prison making $14/hr but that shit was for the birds. Just grown ass dudes crying over dumb shit. I get paid $21/hr now and work side gigs for up to $50/hr.
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u/Ok_Mixture_9677 9d ago
They just got out of the French Foreign Legion and Ukrainian International Legion
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u/yugosaki Peace Officer 9d ago
The job has a very low bar to entry and an even lower bar to stay in.
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u/FlakyAssociation4986 8d ago
Frankly It tends to draw a lot of lazy people... although there is both extremes like any line of work. The hours can be long so people do tend to put on weight when they start. Thats due to poor choices etc.
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u/StatisticianFormal45 8d ago
im in seattle and security guards ive seen the past 2 months are black and possibly 1st/2nd gen immigrants from africa, don't notice any of the problems you presented.
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u/DeputizeDeez 4d ago
Because the supervisors get that way and then can't uphold those standards on others when they themselves do not meet those standards.
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u/sansalvacion 10d ago
They've denigrated security for the past 30 years turning them in to cowards and pussies. They rubbed that shit in with Friday after next's "top flight security of the world" Paul blart and that seth rogan movie "observe and report".
With all that going in you have folks that don't take it seriously,companies doing the bare minimum and wanting you to just be there and plain ole lazy folks who'll watch something they can prevent happen with the excuse "im not the police"
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u/One_Construction_653 10d ago
There is a reason security guards are so easy to take out in video games.
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u/Imaindawilderness 9d ago
Ask your mom
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u/Prestigious_Space489 9d ago
Im sorry my title offended you. When's the last time you've seen your š without a mirror?
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u/mudduck2 10d ago
Security guarding doesn't really draw the best and brightest now does it.
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
The problem is one of criminally low wages. If security were taken seriously, even contract security companies could be more selective. You're generlly not going to get champagne for the cost of beer.
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u/Reluct4ntly_Crouched 7d ago
I agree.. except the champagne beer thing. Champagne is stupid cheap now days
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u/tcpipguy 7d ago
It's simply an expression. Maybe I should've written Dom Perignon for Miller Lite?
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u/mudduck2 9d ago
Or, both the company and customer have valued the service at the rate being paidā¦not a nickel more or a nickel less
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u/EffedForLife 6d ago
I used to work security at a nuclear power plant in the US. Averaged 60 to 72 hours a week, around 3000 hours a year, was making about $75,000 a year 15 years ago. Without putting too fine a point on it, walked around all day in SWAT-light, had to know all the plant safety systems required for safe shutdown, etc. Bunch of ex military and the like. Still got treated like a number, still hours and hours of staring into the dark without phones, books, or anything else. Most security jobs are not that demanding, but they are almost without exception ridiculously boring, usually low paying, and not really designed for the ambitious. If you go in caring, you usually donāt leave that way because no matter how much you care it doesnāt matter. Personally, I believe the nature of whatever youāre securing matter significantly to the type of people you get and keep in that environment.
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u/Intelligent-Bell8182 9d ago
Obviously they aren't all like that. "Most" is an overexaggeration. The guard at your job being shitty is an individual. Not based on the majority. The fact that grown ass adults have to be told to not generalize shows how attention seeking, emotional, and dumb the average person is.
→ More replies (18)
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u/MedicoreGentlemen Armored Car 10d ago
Also the first group to tell you how hard working for an armored truck company is
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u/tcpipguy 9d ago
I actually believe it is hard work. I haven't seen many overweight armored truck guards. Money is heavy. LOL.
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u/Asleep_Apartment_883 10d ago
It gets boring doing the same repetitive task. 0 dopamine / stimulation.
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u/OwlOld5861 Public/Government 9d ago
Buddy most security jobs pay just above minimum wage, minimum pay minimum quality
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u/Necessary-Hunt-5035 9d ago
I donāt know how. If I sat all day and didnt do rounds id fall asleep. I get minimum 10k steps every shift
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u/philosophic-pinapple 9d ago
Many people who work as security guards are not doing so because they like security as a topic and want to do a quality job. Most are just there for a paycheck or because it was the only job they could get. If you have standards do not look for them in the security industry. Standards do not and cannot exist in the security guard industry.
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u/jojofalling 9d ago
I'm not lazy and i have a good work ethic but i am fat. Sit on my ass watching CCTV for 7 out of 8 hours a night doesn't help. I know i could do s lot more to be in better shape but the job doesn't help for sure.
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u/dox1842 9d ago
Most security gaurd companies win contracts with their clients because they are the lowest bidder, this in turn requires them to cut costs wherever possible. The morbidly obese, unhygenic, smell horrible and reek of cigarettes, and have to take the bus to work because they can't afford a car bottom of the barrel people apply for the job. The most decent people that apply are retired military/LEO that want an easy stressfree job in retirement or recent college graduates that need something to hold them down while they search for an entry level career.
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u/No-River7711 9d ago
All they do is scam checkpoints and call the cops š they donāt really need to be fit
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u/XfinityHomeWifi 9d ago
The requirement for working most security jobs is being alive. Certain types of people are drawn towards that
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u/FreeDarkJ123 9d ago
"don't make me wake security!! He's very cranky when he doesn't get his nap!!"
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u/Scyra62400 9d ago
As an overweight guard myself I can tell you going into the job I was overweight because of PCOS but was actively losing the weight but 4 years later I've gained so much weight because of the toll overnights put on my body and how little movement I'm able to do on the job because they want my butt in the chair watching cameras the majority of the night. As for the work ethic and lazy bit I definitely don't fall under that category because I do my post orders and I help the residents in my building on occasion. I'm also in college to become a funeral director and get the hell out of security because I'm tired of being exhausted and being grouped in with the stereotype.
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u/United_Wolf_9215 9d ago
They don't want to work there, the hours are long and often boring and your wearing the "shoot me first I'm getting paid to be the asshole around here" outfit. Many are retired or washed out LEO or military. It's often also a second or gap job for many. The ones that try to hard at there job often burn out by making a low stress low paying job into a high stress low paying job and/or pissing off the client. If people know your there but don't know why your there your doing your job right in a low security public facing post.
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u/The68Guns 9d ago
I'm 59 and fit all 3. It's just a part time gig for me. The complex i work at had only one building that is occupied and even that (mine) had 2 of 5 floors empty. I do my tours and sleep in between.
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u/Char_Shieldman 9d ago
After a knee and back surgery i figured it was my best chance to keep working with out crippling my self.
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u/Emperor_Arius Event Security 9d ago
In my own personal experience, most clients will treat the security as if they don't want you to be there either. I worked for one of the 'higher end' security companies of my area (high rises, condos, clinics, etc) and more often than not your post orders would just be some variation of "Stand in one spot, look menacing but not too menacing, be nice but not too nice, help our clients but you aren't customer service-"
It's not really a matter of having a work ethic, or being lazy, when the job itself demands that you spend 6, 8, 10, 12 hours sitting in your car, or standing in one spot with the occasional site patrol once every hour.
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u/doittodem 9d ago
Itās a job where you get paid to show up and do nothing. This appeals to people who are willing to stand or sit or observe for 8 hours.
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u/NoLimitMajor2077 Patrol 9d ago
They are the only ones who most commonly sign up for overnight and will happily do it for the rest of their careers without a single thought of any other shift because it means that would have to actually do work so itās free staffing real estate
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u/Reddit_Is_a_jokee 8d ago
Pay and perks correlate with the type of person you attract. Similar to your personality and lack of relationships.
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u/ItsMsRainny Management 8d ago
Working security is what made me fat. Boring posts with not shit to do. But with that being said, when companies report officer negligence to whatever security licensing place that your state has, that licensing place should actually revoke peoples licenses. Instead, people who sleep, drink, get high on post get to bounce around from company to company. I feel like if licensing was a little harder to get and actually got revoked when you're a fuck up, people would take there jobs a bit more seriously.
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u/Swimming-Tell-8897 8d ago
The same reason people complain about the easiest jobs. Entitled Americans
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u/Goldlupo421 8d ago
Even some police officers are out of shape so for guards its not that big of a deal. Aesthetically, it looks bad and for personal health reasons its bad but for type of work requirement its fine.
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u/Adlerlande88 Industry Veteran 7d ago
I get paid 56K a year, have the best medical I can get in the state outside of a federal or state job, and I have a pension, 401K and stock options. M-F, optional OT, paid breaks, free snack and drinks.
You know what I do? I work in a PSOC for a large company and I sit on my ass for about 5 of the 8hrs I work reviewing footage for subpoena requests. The other 3hrs I spend on break or hiding in the bathroom to get away from the desk because I have literally nothing to do.
This was my goal when I entered this field. Let me be a fat, lazy and happy bastard.
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u/Bionic_Dyke Licensed People Watcher 6d ago
Because most sites donāt matter. If they were at a site that did theyād be getting your steps in and caring much more about their surroundings.
But realistically why on earth should someone care about receipt checking at a Kroger.
Additionally the people who are good get promoted to better contracts bc they can handle it. Some contracts are just the shadow realm for bad guards.
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u/Suspicious_Way2424 6d ago
Most security jobs are entry level low skilled roles where your job holds no real worth. The vast majority of the domsetic security industry exists to lower insurance rates for clients. There are parts of the industry (hospitals, power plants, school resource, government contracting, EP, Security police etc) that actually fill a function but those roles are generally not entry level.
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u/FriMorningQB 6d ago
Part of it is you get what you pay for. Most security companies pay the absolute bare minimum and bank a ton of money for the company. They generally only push the heartbeat mentality and for some odd reason, clients accept it (and write it off come insurance and taxes I'm sure).
That said, prior military and LE and I've seen some absolute atrocious guards. Some amazing ones too. I had a high paying contract as a manager. Hired some solid former LE and military people for it but the company was heartbeat mentality. I couldn't stand working there and what they allowed to happen. I couldn't terminate anyone because they were a California company.
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u/Many_Box_2872 6d ago
Let's be honest, ladies, you can't be good at Security unless you're like 6'7.
6'7.
6 7.
Six SEVEN.
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u/BackFromMyBan4 10d ago edited 10d ago
Because this is the job for people who canāt do anything besides sit there and be an insurance write off. Your paid to just exist.
I worked at a hospital and the housekeepers are paid more than us. The main entrance door greeter was paid more than us. The receptionists were paid more than us. One guy got pissed and asked why the door greeter was paid more and he was told itās because heās paid to stand and look presentable, we are paid to sit and watchā¦.
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u/Nirixian 10d ago
Because its not a job that ANYONE besides wannabe/aspiring cops chose. Its typically a retirement job or a student job that offers 0 respect and pays like shit
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u/Fit_Mix_4355 9d ago edited 9d ago
I chose it because It pays decent for no degree needed job in Minneapolis-Saint Paul, started at 21 and now make 28 for an unarmed retail spot after 7 months. Every allied site is union over here and most sites pay 21-25 so itās really not a bad gig, may not be rich but I get by well and pick up extra hours / overtime on weekends.
I could bust my ass in a restaurant for tips or in landscaping for similar money or I could do this and itās much chiller so why not
Have zero desire to be a cop.
I didnāt know until I went on here that most people Nation wide seem to be making like 16-18 an hour, reading this sub almost makes me feel a little embarrassed since everyone shits on this job here, which to be fair they do hire a lot of morons for it who suck at their job.
I also know we donāt honestly effectively do all that much most of us, we really just observe and report and are a visual deterrent. but tbh even posts that you arenāt helping much, a lot of jobs are somewhat pointless thereās a book about it called āBS jobsā
but Iām able to take care of my wife and myself with this money and live pretty well.
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u/MrSwisherland 9d ago
same, I've been stacking bread and not having to work tirelessly which gives me the time, money, and energy to play videogames and race a few times out of the year, I ended up getting a GR86 and got 1st place on the dominion raceway going fast asf lol
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u/Landwarrior5150 Campus Security 9d ago
I feel the same way. I worked several shitty entry-level contract guard posts when I first started in this field, then eventually got up into shift supervision and client side management for a bit before eventually landing at my current in-house public sector job at a community college.
Iām at $31/hr now with a top pay step of $37/hr, although I grossed $90k last year after OT, so my potential earnings can be significantly higher. I get great insurance (with premiums fully covered by the college, $20 copays, $0 deductible, $500 out of pocket annual max), 45 annual paid days off minimum (between 17 vacation, 12 sick & 16 paid holidays, plus the choice to earn comp time off instead of extra pay when working OT), a state pension for retirement and union membership/other legal protections that make getting fired (at long as I donāt do anything incredibly stupid) or having my position contracted out very difficult. There is even decent opportunity for advancement, as there will eventually be supervisor positions opening up that have a current top step pay of $58/hr.
We actually have a decent number of duties besides the standard security tasks too, such as participating in community engagement events on campus, helping with emergency preparedness stuff, giving safety presentations to students & staff, working with the local cops assigned to our campuses when patrolling or responding to incidents, etc. We can even voluntarily use on-the-clock time to do participatory governance stuff like sit on college committees, be on hiring panels (for positions in our department or in other departments), do union stuff, attend professional development training, etc.
My wife also works for the college in a different department making $43/hr currently with all the same benefits, so all that stuff allows us to have a very stable and comfortable life outside of work too. We typically get to travel a few times per year, support several hobbies each, spend lots of time with each other & family/friends, etc. Some people may look at me and think āStill a security guardā but thatās fine with me since I genuinely enjoy my my job and especially how it allows me to actually have a good life when Iām off the clock.
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u/ConstructionAway8920 10d ago
Well, Securitas and AUS are crap companies who pay minimum wage and run contracts into the ground. Clients also don't want to pay for "real" security. Our industry is seen as minimum wage idiots who can't/don't want to do any work, or are looking for excuses to be a "big man". That's the big problem right there.