Help the door is locked

[RBOP]

A very similar situation happened to me. I was working late one night and the last to leave. Garbage room is in the fire exit stairwell. Took out some garbage and the fire door closed behind me locking me in the stairwell. OK I needed the exercise and proceeded down the 14 floors. Got to the 3rd floor and encountered a pad locked steel bar cage that blocked the way down further. All the doors on each floor are locked so I couldn't get out on any other floor. I screamed and banged on the bars for a few minutes and no came. OK a bit embarrassed I pulled out my phone and see I have 10% battery and only 1 bar reception. My stomach turns but I'm able to call the secretary. She showed up an hour later on the 14th floor (I had to go back up) and let me out.

Next day I blasted the building manager and gave a safety talk about that's how people die in fires (happened in a modern shopping mall in Ottawa, Canada). His excuse was that after 6pm they lock the gate to prevent thieves from entering from the car park. (In Ottawa they said the door was locked to prevent thieves from slipping out a fire exit). A lot of people just don't have any brains when it comes to common sense and happens everywhere.

[impulse]

Try this experiment.

Change the "rules" and let anyone with a key have unfettered access to your property, 24/7.

Then see how long before someone cleans you out.

Or you can spend the $$$ to have a higher tech system with access cards, fingerprint scanners, or other methods to limit access to authorized people. Still, I'd bet you'll be cleaned out the first time one of your selected employees gets hacked off.

Laugh, or cry (your choice). Learn the lesson. Move on. You're not in Kansas any more. Paris, neither.

[ttthailand]

Perhaps you should respect your staff and conduct your meetings during normal business hours or move the meeting to another location. Why do you not know the business hours ? Are you new ? Did you inform your staff that you were staying late ? Is your office visible to your staff so they saw you while locking the door or is it a room down a hallway ? Are you one of these mouthy farang that takes everyone for granted and makes up the rules as you go ?

For some reason I think this problem was because of your own actions but I could be wrong....

[Thaiberius]

Wasn't the fire tragedy in Ekkamai a few years ago due to a blocked fire escape?

[JO1973]

Fire them.

Would this be acceptable back in your home country? Of course not. You are the boss, you make the rules. Plus your staff potentially endangered your life and certainly didn't help your business as your client must have been pretty upset. A court's going to side with them for wrongful dismissal? I don't think so. Fire them all.

[IMA_FARANG]

You need an emergency key to at least one entrance door .... not only for you but so if need be you can enter and collect any important records you need for your business.

As in a fire in the building.

Keep that emergency key in your personal possession.

Either that or a punch code lock with an emergency entry code only you know and control.

[lostinisaan]

I pray for you in my next life to come up with better stories.

It's still better than being smashed to death by "falling" off.

[impulse]

Fire them.

Would this be acceptable back in your home country? Of course not. You are the boss, you make the rules. Plus your staff potentially endangered your life and certainly didn't help your business as your client must have been pretty upset. A court's going to side with them for wrongful dismissal? I don't think so. Fire them all.

Profoundly poor advice. On several levels.

[wandasloan]

Clearly, you lost the account because who would do business with a man that doesn't even have a key to his own office?

A very good point. Pay attention OP, get a key, unless the door can't be unlocked from the inside...555.

I suppose somewhere there is such a door, but any half-decent half-drunk barely attentive boss/manager, even a man, would realise the problem if staff LIKE HIMSELF cannot get out if there is a fire, earthquake, etc. The word I would use for a boss unable to get out of his own building is "justice".

.

[kovaltech]

OP,

Who's the boss ??

I don't know what kind off business you do, but if they lock me in, my staff will know what to do ( jump and run for getting me out )

Mistakes can happen, errors be made, but an answer as you described will never be tolerated...

[Maroon Watcher]

In many businesses it is the responsibility of the "key holder" to open up in the morning and close at night.

In China this is a strict resposibility, and a legal get-out for the boss/company (for any break-ins etc)

But the boss will have a secret key anyway....

This boss shouldn't need a key - but he shouid get one now. (No need to tell them)

It is a basic Management rule: "What if, [something happens] "Then" [what is your plan] ...

[Maroon Watcher]

...yes! Can't get the staff these days!

They are are always sloping off

OP,

Who's the boss ??

I don't know what kind off business you do, but if they lock me in, my staff will know what to do ( jump and run for getting me out )

Mistakes can happen, errors be made, but an answer as you described will never be tolerated...

[Sayonarax]

Tell the staff that was a funny joke they played and then tell them you also have a funny joke as you sack them. Job done.

And the even funnier joke is when said staff sue you in the labour court for wrongful dismissal and get rather large pay outs

grow up

Wrongful dismissal? Explain how firing people for not doing their jobs and leaving the office in unsafe manner is "wrongful termination"..

[drand11]

Tell the staff that was a funny joke they played and then tell them you also have a funny joke as you sack them. Job done.

The lady that told you to spend the night....

In the morning, I'd invite her into my office..and personally walk her to the door.

I can't imagine telling a Boss and especially Clients, to "Wait til morning!"\

[VINCENT2012]

You're the boss, and you don't have a key, but your receptionist does?

Hmmmm....

thats exactly what i think ....blame the staff for what they are but blame you for knowing it and let it come.

[Mudcrab]

Tell the staff that was a funny joke they played and then tell them you also have a funny joke as you sack them. Job done.

And the even funnier joke is when said staff sue you in the labour court for wrongful dismissal and get rather large pay outs

grow up

Wrongful dismissal? Explain how firing people for not doing their jobs and leaving the office in unsafe manner is "wrongful termination"..

You would prefer the staff to leave the office unlocked in a "safe" manner?

If the Boss has a boss then he should fire him for incompetence.

I would certainly ask questions about his competence in that he cannot even put into place a simple procedure to cover an event like this.

A simple directive that before the office is locked that a walk through will be conducted.

This could also include a check that any unnecessary electrical equipment is shut down, lights are off etc etc. and there are no security issues.

Not that hard.

[Eloelo]

As Boss you should have a plan in place for all staff should this situation arise. such as who to call in an emergency the building manager the facility manager. the security company that monitors the building, but you called the receptionist and asked her! and she said no boss you have to stay there all night..You don't deserve to be boss..and your staff are pissing in there pants laughing at you , and your asking has this ever happened to anyone else before,,yeah it sure has but they don't write into forums repeating the story..How did you ever get to be a boss!.

[DP25]

The problem here is not that you were locked out. Mistakes happen. The problem is that once the staff realized what happened their solution was not to help you get out, but to tell you to sleep there until morning. They should have traveled to get the key from wherever it was and gone to let you out. I guarantee you if a Thai boss were locked in no one would have dared to tell him to sleep there all night, they'd be out on their ass the next day if they did

[sdanielmcev]

Do you people read? He never said he was a boss.

[bino]

Do you people read? He never said he was a boss.

Do you??

Maybe he didn't say it, but the employee on the phone did.

her comment was: Boss, sorry but if you cannot get out, you have to stay and sleep in the office tonight.

I would sorely be wanting to fire this employee, and giving serious consideration to paying the severance package as required by the law.

At very least I would be solving my problem of not having a key by relieving her of the one she is holding.

[kovaltech]

Do you people read? He never said he was a boss.

Now you'r proving that you can't read.....

"The staff has locked up the boss and client in the office. Was it a joke?

[sdanielmcev]

Do you people read? He never said he was a boss.

Now you'r proving that you can't read.....

"The staff has locked up the boss and client in the office. Was it a joke?

Well, that's a bit embarrassing.

[recycler]

Bet you that they would not have dared to treat a Thai boss like this!

Your staff lacks all basic respect for you and you should manage them different. You're the boss, not the doormat!

[impulse]

Do you people read? He never said he was a boss.

Do you??

Maybe he didn't say it, but the employee on the phone did.

her comment was: Boss, sorry but if you cannot get out, you have to stay and sleep in the office tonight.

I would sorely be wanting to fire this employee, and giving serious consideration to paying the severance package as required by the law.

At very least I would be solving my problem of not having a key by relieving her of the one she is holding.

That's assuming she does hold a key. Or even that she knows how to get ahold of anyone that does after hours. And the last time she did so, she wasn't thoroughly abused.

BTW, sdanielmcev, you're not so far off the mark. Lots of our Thai people call me "Boss". I'm not. It's just like calling someone "Sir" back home. Being from Texas, I call lots of people "Sir".

[Will2011]

Haven't anyone of you heard about locksmiths? Locksmith is a wonderful service that helps people who are looked-in/out.

Next time, you should try. And, it's also available in Bangkok for those who might wonder.

[otherstuff1957]

A few years ago I was working late is a mid-sized office building and found myself locked in. It was a mid-sized building with only one company in it, so there were no security people inside, just the fellow at the parking lot gate. I finally found an unlocked window in a employee lounge and climbed out!

I was, and am, a part-time employee and usually work evenings or occasionally on a weekend, so there are usually few people around when I am in the office. I was finally given my own card-key so that I could enter or leave without problems, even if was quite late.

[Zodaka]

I guess it must've of been the first time that you did overtime. Anyone who works late or at the weekends always has access to the doors. Receptionists will always go home at the prescribed time. A proper company wold never have a receptionist who'd answer like she did unless you or someone hired her off Patpong road or alike. Sound like a cheap office to me too. Why no door card? Imagine being able to shout of windows.

[healthbkkbkk]

I don't understand the rude replies to this topic accusing the man of trolling.

I don't carry the keys to my offices nor to my home nor to my car.

My maids are always home, my assistant is always with me and my driver takes car of the car.

There really is nothing odd if the fellow didn't have a key to his office with him.

Now that I've said that and read this post I think I will begin carrying keys with me.

I also use a translator often when writing English.

[Berkshire]

Bet you that they would not have dared to treat a Thai boss like this!

Your staff lacks all basic respect for you and you should manage them different. You're the boss, not the doormat!

If he's the boss, then clearly it's a "training" issue.

[clinique]

I don't understand the rude replies to this topic accusing the man of trolling.

I don't carry the keys to my offices nor to my home nor to my car.

My maids are always home, my assistant is always with me and my driver takes car of the car.

There really is nothing odd if the fellow didn't have a key to his office with him.

Now that I've said that and read this post I think I will begin carrying keys with me.

I also use a translator often when writing English.

healthbkkbkk;

Dont know how long you've been in Thailand but I think its a good idea that you have seen the light and begin carrying [ or have a copy set] a set of keys to everything.

Maybe you are lucky, but whilst our experience has been great in Thailand; there have been times when the maids not on time or is out; when the driver disappears and so does the car!!

OP;

as said by others it seems to me the problem is they wouldn't come back to let you out or arrange to have you let out;; you have upset your staff somehow and need to fix it, as well as get a set of keys or as recommended above install a card or fingerprint reader they are not really that expensive..

Love to know how you explained it to your client!!