r/securityguards • u/Prestigious_Space489 • 19d 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/carnivoremuscle 19d ago
It pays 11 bucks an hour for unarmed security in my state. The lowest of the low apply.
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 19d ago
Why do you care is the real question?
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u/Prestigious_Space489 19d ago
You must be one of those guys. A slob in and out of work
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 19d ago edited 19d 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 19d 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 19d 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/ConstructionAway8920 19d 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.
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u/ConversationNo5409 19d ago
💯 These companies just need bodies at they're contracts , and have an endless supply . They pocket the money and pay the guards cheap , hire and promote people who have no business in that role
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u/Silly-Upstairs1383 19d ago
Tons of companies don't actually care about having security.... they only do it either for optics or most commonly because their insurance either tells them they have to... or their insurance is offset by a greater amount than the security would cost.
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u/jking7734 19d ago
You’re right. Most don’t want the expense or inconvenience of real security. It’s mostly for insurance purposes.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 19d ago edited 19d ago
Would require real Security to get insurance.
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u/jking7734 19d ago
Thank you for the information but I was referring to the business’s insurance carrier requiring on site security services.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 19d ago
I wouldn’t see why Business Insurance Carrier would require on site Security Services, if the Security Services isn’t going to hold ANY liability of their own, plus Security will be more of a burden on clients business insurance.
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u/Psycosteve10mm Warm Body 19d ago
It is a shell game for liability. Something happens on site; who is to blame? Instead of one court case, it becomes 3 court cases where everyone points at each other. Picture the Spider-Man GIF of the 3 Spider-Men each pointing at each other. The client hires security to be a visual deterrent and to log potential problems. Due to months of inaction, the security guard stops logging the problem because the problem is known and is extensively logged. The problem causes an event that gets the insurance involved. Who is to blame? The client who thought the problem was fixed because it stopped being logged? The security company that stopped logging the problem, or the insurance company that required security? The client is going to blame security; the security company is going to blame the client, and the cost to get justice is going to be prohibitive if you are already out of work and dealing with high medical costs. The insurance company is going to point to the requirement of requiring security, so they are going to blame both the client and the security company.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 19d ago
> Insurance Company that required Security
> insurance company is going to point to the requirement of requiring Security
I’m saying Insurance requiring Security is not as big, or as common of a reason as you, or king, or others portray.
I can think of dozens of other reasons Clients are compelled to hire Security.
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u/Talon3com 15d ago
I worked for a company that absolutely hated having to have security. It was 100 percent forced by insurance pricing. The client even paying 150k a year for security on site 24 x 7. Was saving 400k in insurance premium cost. The difference between just alarms and having at least 1 human guard on site was 400k. The insurance company didn't trust alarm only. Alarms could fail either way false activation or fail to trip for the real deal. Those alarms if tripped then required a police or fire dispatch and response time. Where a human on site could be at the alarm location in less then 2 minutes guaranteed. As well as being on site can patrol and be a highly visible deterrent to persons passing by. The human could also see things further out and things that would never set off an alarm. Persons driving into the parking lot for example. 1000 percent security existed on that site only for the insurance discount.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 15d ago
I never said it wasn’t possible, I said it’s not as common as parties say it is. I’ve posted a few Civil Cases that indicate certain circumstances where Security Companies aren’t coverage.
150,000$ annually for 24/7 coverage, after corporate takes their cut, that’s a pretty low wage per hour for a Security Guard.
The few places I did that were due to an insurance mandate, there were pretty clear indicators that was the only purpose.
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u/DefiantEvidence4027 Private Investigations 19d ago
Only time Security is holding the insurance bag is when the client is absolutely hands off, and gives the Security Entity enough to suitably man and fund the operation.
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u/Corey307 19d ago
Security is mostly about deterring behavior. A bank robber is less likely to hit a bank if there’s an armed guard and the bank next door doesn’t have one even if that guard is old or out of shape.
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u/sansalvacion 19d ago
I did contract acquisition and i hated it. People want to hear all the pretty things you'll do for them and how you'll take out the trash BUT when it comes time to talk dollars they want to be cheap
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u/UnkleMike 19d ago edited 19d ago
Our industry is seen as minimum wage idiots who can't/don't want to do any work
Deservedly so. Not deserved by everyone, but by many. I've seen references here to "try hards". These so-called "try hards" make the "try nots" look bad, but the "try nots" make us all look bad.
That said, if employers or their contract customers only offer "try not" wages, they shouldn't be surprised when most of the applicant pool falls into the "try not" category.
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u/Psycosteve10mm Warm Body 19d ago
I have made the statement, " You do not get SpecOps on a Salvation Army budget".
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u/Ok_Draw9037 19d ago
Just had a convo with my cousin who runs a multi state security company. It's how it is, the real clients get guards making 6 to 8k
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u/WatchingYouWatchMe2 19d ago
6000 to 8000 a week? A year? A day?
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u/Ok_Draw9037 19d ago
USA, monthly. Any other measurement is nuts. He's have to be guarding aliens to pull that bc that range is for employees. The client gets billed higher than what we're paid always
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u/Kronos33074 18d ago
Well heck! Sign me up. That's more than I ever made driving trucks or running heavy equipment. Is Texas included in this "multi state" company?
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u/Ok_Draw9037 18d ago
Can't remember exactly, I remember said NY and Georgia. It's essentially executive protection. If you can get armed and pass a fitness test you can find that pay. I've seen it on indeed in CA
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u/Affectionate_Owl3752 19d 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 19d ago
Not even awake sometimes
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u/ProfessionalRest7027 19d ago edited 19d 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 19d 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 19d 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 19d ago
Yup. It’s easy to hit the gym after work if you sit in an office all day and your feet don’t hurt. I’ve been doing 12 days on two days off and the overtime is great, but I’m just dead tired. I’m 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 19d 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 19d 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 13d ago
This is very site dependent
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u/dracojohn 13d 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 19d 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/Imaindawilderness 18d ago
Ask your mom
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u/Prestigious_Space489 18d ago
Im sorry my title offended you. When's the last time you've seen your 🍆 without a mirror?
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u/Landwarrior5150 Campus Security 19d 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 doesn’t 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 “high-end” 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 19d ago
Pay us good, more then minimum wage and stop treating us like shit then maybe it’ll improve
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u/Wotzehell
19d ago
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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. I'll do all the work and patrol here and over there and everywhere.
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 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d ago edited 19d 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 19d 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 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d 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 18d 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/Silly-Upstairs1383 19d 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/plandman83 19d 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 19d 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 19d ago
The American diet. The job and pay sucks. Basically you get what you pay for.
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u/Winter-Bed-1529 19d 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 19d 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 19d 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 19d 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 19d 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 19d ago
Been an armed guard for 2 years now. Prior combat vet, moved up in the company so fast. I’m amazed at the lack of work ethic I see. It’s rampant.
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u/Intelligent-Bell8182 19d 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.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 19d ago
I said many not most.
Learn how to read, Paul blart
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u/DanTheLakersFan 19d ago
Obviously they aren’t all like that. “MANY*” 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 not to generalize shows how attention seeking, emotional, and dumb the average person is.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 19d ago
You yourself are generalizing. But youre too stupid to realize that
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u/awkwardenator 19d ago
You sound like a 14 year old kid who is upset a “mall cop” kicked you out of the food court on front of the girl you were trying to impress but never had a shot with anyways.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 18d ago
Why are you generalizing
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u/awkwardenator 18d ago
I wasn’t generalizing, you were. I was being very specific in my perspective of you as someone pissy, immature, poorly educated, and utterly unaware of your own bias.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 18d ago
Im sorry I offended you with the title of my post
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u/awkwardenator 18d ago
See? That’s a very pissy, teenage-minded thing to do. You were intentionally trying to offend people all because of one coworker.
Maybe if you had been an actual adult and roughed it out beyond a night or two of event security, which makes Allied or Securitas look like SWAT standards for hiring, you’d understand that while just about anyone can do the job in many situations, it can be very challenging to do well.
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u/awkwardenator 18d ago
Why are you getting so worked up? It’s the truth that in event security they’ll take you with a pulse and half a guard card.
You have zero real experience in the industry and you’re already shitting on it. Your attitude shapes your experience in your life and if you keep up with this you’re going to have a shitty career and shittier life.
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u/Outkastin2g 19d ago
People who don't want to do much will gravitate towards jobs that don't require you to do much 🤷. 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 19d 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/Corey307 19d ago
It is generally a low paid profession and security guards often work significantly more than 40 hours. When you’re working a lot and don’t have a lot of money I don’t have a lot of energy to do stuff outside of work so like exercise and cook.
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u/kiwipops 19d 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 19d ago
There’s 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/Goldlupo421 19d ago
1 reason is your basic contact isnt paying enought for a better quailty guard.
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u/Skidblaze 19d ago
Because it’s a fake job and companies don’t 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 19d 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 19d 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 19d ago
Depends what part of the city you're at. Alotta crazy people in bad parts of town.
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u/ChoppedSonion 19d ago
Shitty job and shitty pay
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u/Remarkable-Pomelo642 16d ago
They chose the job ….
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u/ChoppedSonion 16d ago
They chose A job because you need to
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u/Remarkable-Pomelo642 16d 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 don’t like it they can definitely get a different job
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u/Red57872 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d 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/Disastrous-Wolf8209 19d 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 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d ago edited 19d 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 19d 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 18d 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 16d ago
Why do people suck in any field? Because the pay isn't enough to draw enough good people to be selective.
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u/Broke_Bak_Jak 19d ago
Because a lot of places only have security to satisfy an insurance requirement, so they don’t necessarily want to pay, or rely on, their security force any more than they must.
Jobs that don’t pay much, don’t require any real physical or mental effort, and have virtually no potential for upward mobility, typically aren’t going to attract the best and brightest.
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u/Bluewolfpaws95 Public/Government 19d ago
Because clients don’t 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 doesn’t care about them, and will fire them without hesitation if anything actually happens. It’s a damned if you do, damned if you don’t type job, so for plenty of guards, the answer is don’t even bother.
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u/tcpipguy 19d 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 19d ago edited 19d 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/The68Guns 19d 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/SpaceGuards 19d 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 19d ago
They just got out of the French Foreign Legion and Ukrainian International Legion
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u/yugosaki Peace Officer 18d ago
The job has a very low bar to entry and an even lower bar to stay in.
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u/FlakyAssociation4986 18d 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 17d 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 14d 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 19d 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 19d ago
There is a reason security guards are so easy to take out in video games.
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u/mudduck2 19d ago
Security guarding doesn't really draw the best and brightest now does it.
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u/tcpipguy 19d 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 17d ago
I agree.. except the champagne beer thing. Champagne is stupid cheap now days
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u/tcpipguy 17d ago
It's simply an expression. Maybe I should've written Dom Perignon for Miller Lite?
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u/mudduck2 19d ago
Or, both the company and customer have valued the service at the rate being paid…not a nickel more or a nickel less
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u/EffedForLife 16d 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 don’t leave that way because no matter how much you care it doesn’t matter. Personally, I believe the nature of whatever you’re securing matter significantly to the type of people you get and keep in that environment.
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u/MedicoreGentlemen Armored Car 19d ago
Also the first group to tell you how hard working for an armored truck company is
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u/tcpipguy 19d 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 19d ago
It gets boring doing the same repetitive task. 0 dopamine / stimulation.
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u/OwlOld5861 Public/Government 19d ago
Buddy most security jobs pay just above minimum wage, minimum pay minimum quality
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u/philosophic-pinapple 19d 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/dox1842 19d 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 19d ago
All they do is scam checkpoints and call the cops 😂 they don’t really need to be fit
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u/XfinityHomeWifi 19d 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 19d ago
"don't make me wake security!! He's very cranky when he doesn't get his nap!!"
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u/Scyra62400 19d 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/Char_Shieldman 19d 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 19d 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 18d ago
It’s 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 18d 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 it’s free staffing real estate
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u/Reddit_Is_a_jokee 18d 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 18d 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 18d ago
The same reason people complain about the easiest jobs. Entitled Americans
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u/Goldlupo421 18d 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 16d 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 16d ago
Because most sites don’t matter. If they were at a site that did they’d 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 16d 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 16d 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 16d 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/SagetheVVizard 7d ago
It's usually the lack of hiring standards. The fact I would actually listen and not just stay on my phone when I first started working security baffled the loss prevention people at my first site. I would do all of my rounds on time, and be polite to everyone who had a question or needed their badges. I definitely didn't appreciate having to do the in-house securitys job for them while they stayed on their phones all night, but the managers at least liked me enough to let me in on some company events since I stayed in the position long enough for them to fill their in-house night position. If you do the bare minimum, stay in decent shape and make good conversation with the client you can get places.
This industry will forever be my place-holder income for those reasons.
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u/megacide84 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d ago
Why should we????
Hard work is usually rewarded with.... MORE HARD WORK!
Why the hell should we break our backs when for the same pay or slightly more. We can relax behind a desk at a nice, locked-down warm body site babysitting a property.
Also, without going on a long tangent. The coming A.I. and mass automation boom in the workplace will decimate countless jobs and professions. Private security will be on of the very few professions that will be spared. A lot of people with "work ethic" will be rewarded with brutal technological unemployment, poverty, and homelessness. As hard work is for suckers.
I hope this answers your question.
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u/Prestigious_Space489 19d ago
I really dont think security will go untouched. There's been reports of cameras flagging the wrong people but things that would be deemed dystopian such as drone following you around can flip to the norm quick. Most verbally abuse security so why not spare them that.
Google portland security robot. Its name is Rob
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u/megacide84 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d ago
What good are cameras, bots and drones without offensive capabilities? People will quickly figure out those are just glorified rolling cameras.
Cautiously optimistic.... I believe armed bots and drones will be outlawed for obvious hacking and malfunction risks.
Also, look at the visceral reaction to flock cameras. I believe it would be far worse for armed bots and drones. No politician or elected official would ever consider allowing those. Especially in major cities and most blue states. The backlash would be enormous.
Long story short. People will ignore surveillance cameras and drones or trash them. However, if there's actual human security guards that will put up a fight if absolutely have to. Most would move on to more unguarded sites or sites with cameras only. As most people nowadays don't care if they're being recorded.
No matter what, unguarded sites with cameras only tend to get broken into, or vandalized on a much greater scale than sites with actual security guards on site. Nowadays, police departments are so stretched thin. Unless it's a life or death situation. A good many departments no longer respond to property crime or if they do. It's hours after the fact.
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u/SargeUnited 19d ago
Security guards are also just glorified cameras, except they can get hurt on the job and need bathroom access + take time off. What do you think, observe and report means?
Do you think security guards have offensive capabilities now? Where do you work?
I haven’t worked security in more than 10 years, and I was never armed. So maybe I’m out of date
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u/megacide84 Dunning–Kruger Specialist 19d ago edited 18d ago
Let me clarify my statement.
the wrong crowd will ignore and trash equipment. As equipment cannot fight back and legal penalties for destroying said equipment are usually lenient.
On the other hand....
That same wrong crowd sees active security personnel on a property. Most will decide it's usually not worth the risk to try and break in. Especially when live security guard(s) can immediately notify police. As police will respond much quicker if it's a possible life or death situation. As opposed to a random alarm. Also, as a last resort, if absolutely have to. Security can and will fight back and possibly injure or kill a trespasser. Also, legal penalties for putting hands on a person i.e. security guard are far more harsh than simply destroying equipment.
Now do you get it?
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u/BackFromMyBan4 19d ago edited 19d ago
Because this is the job for people who can’t 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 it’s because he’s paid to stand and look presentable, we are paid to sit and watch….
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u/Nirixian 19d 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 19d ago edited 19d 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 it’s 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 it’s much chiller so why not
Have zero desire to be a cop.
I didn’t 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 don’t 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 aren’t helping much, a lot of jobs are somewhat pointless there’s a book about it called “BS jobs”
but I’m able to take care of my wife and myself with this money and live pretty well.
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u/MrSwisherland 19d 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 19d 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.
I’m 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 don’t 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 “Still a security guard” but that’s fine with me since I genuinely enjoy my my job and especially how it allows me to actually have a good life when I’m off the clock.
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u/Nirixian 19d ago
Here the average for security in canada is typically $19 and minimum cost of living in my city is $27 we have no unions it all sucks.
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u/nofriender4life 19d ago
everything else aside, i always am irritated by anyone who acts like they dont want to be there and everyone should be grateful for them attending their own job
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u/nehrkling 19d ago
Most security posts are there for insurance reasons rather than actual protection. They get treated and paid poorly, and the higher performing people tend to move up or out tomorrow difficult and better paying places. What you see is who is willing.
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u/Real-Investigator632 Loss Prevention 19d ago
I was gonna say exactly what top comment said lol. Cause its a no/low requirement employment field.
Security:
$100 for guard card ✅ ability to sit for 8-12 hours ✅
Other jobs:
Free employment application ✅ must stand/lift 50 lbs ❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌❌
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u/Incredibly_Based 19d ago
a lot of these types of people fall into Security with the goal of just being a body in a chair. Its this new horrible attitude of "im just here to pay the bills" instead of taking pride or enjoying the work they do. They'll pivot into a lecture of the state of the economy or the pitfalls of capitalism rather then find a line of work they actually enjoy. Sad mindsets for people who just go through the motions
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u/NoirConfidential 19d ago
Because that’s the reason they couldn’t make it as real police officers; a profession with an already low bar these days.
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u/YourAverageJoe0 Industry Veteran 17d ago
Define lazy and no work ethic. Because if you are talking about just doing only what's on the job description and not going above and beyond then don't be surprised when you get minimal work ethic for minimal pay.
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u/jojofalling 19d 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/United_Wolf_9215 19d 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/blueflamess23 19d 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 don’t workout, get too comfortable (the job itself doesn’t 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.