So I worked at this job for just about a year and lets just say its a hurricane show. Lets start off with number one issue and its the biggest issue out there.
1) For an armored truck company that requires people to carry firearms, this location does not require any kind of weapons training of any kind. All you need is clear a background, drug test, and be 21. If you have weapons traing be prepared to work with people who have zero training and zero sense of security. There is mutiple red flags just being around some of these people. There is some that I worked with that if I got into a bad situation I felt better by taking that persons firearm and using it myself.
2) Mangement only cares how fast you get done. They only care how fast you get done. They don't care if you do it safely or correctly, if the day takes longer then so many hours, be prepared for a lashing.
3) Don't be a good employee here, you will be over worked, taking advantage of, and still let go by the end of the day. Pretty much the worse of an employee you are the better they will treasure you. I delt with 1 individual who drove the trucks, hit mutiple things with it and was still kept on. Just sit there and say yes sir or ma'am, hey will baby you like you are they're own child as well cover your butt no matter what.
4) Zero job safety, I was yelled at mutiple times because certain individuals were not watching their surroundings. When I brought it up to mangement they just surrged it off.
5) The pay and
ProsSome good co-workers and good customer stops you go to.
ConsEverything, just read my review if you haven't, at least the first 3 and you'll see what is the issue with it.
Easy Work, Bad Culture, OK to Bad Management, possibly kinda Racist
I worked in the command center for one of their accounts. We monitored multiple properties as well as the guards that worked at those properties. I also covered shifts for the guards on location so I was familiar with their whole business structure.
Like the title said, the guard job on location was the easiest job I've ever seen or heard of anywhere ever (and yet some people still messed it up all the time). The command center position required a bit more knowledge and skill, but once you learned the ropes it was pretty easy too.
The real killer for this company, however, was the office 'culture'. First it's a security position so everyone is either conservative, a bootlicker, a cop wannabe, or hyper religious for some reason. That in of itself wasn't really a surprise or particularly difficult to handle. Things went from okay to horrendous after it became GardaWorld (formerly Whelan). Suddenly almost every ordinary conversation topic became 'too political' or 'inappropriate' for work. It was like working with high school children who were obsessed with tattling on each other.
Then, to make matters worse, Management 100% plays favorites and the nepotism was very real. The only way to progress further in the company is to literally be a friend of someone higher up or to be related or associated with them in some way. The great supervisor I started under was replaced by an outside hire who happened to be an old employee and best friends with the manager (supervisor's boss)
ProsGood work life balance, ok break rooms, incredibly easy work
ConsBad Office Culture, OK to Bad Management, kinda racist
Firstly, I would like to point out that the following complaints are, I believe, largely no fault of the immediate branch management. I believe most of these issues are due to inadequate management at a company-wide and corporate level. I would like to make it very clear that my branch manager was great, and most of my coworkers were also good, hard-working people.
That being said, there are not a lot of positive things I can say about this job. The work itself was fine, you’re never at a standstill and you’re busy all day long. However; the ratio of workload to employees is unreasonable. My branch had taken on the workload of another branch to help out, but on top of our normal duties, it was absolutely unfair. You would almost never leave at your actual scheduled time, and because of this I was often unable to have a life outside of work. I have no issues working overtime if necessary, and if that is the expectation, but that was not the case. On top of that, our machines were falling apart and would often times just break completely, leaving us even more short staffed. How can you do your job without the tools? My manager had reached out to get us more/new machines, but to no avail. Additionally, our computer systems would often stop working. With all of this happening we were still expected to be on top of the massive workload.
I have respect for all of my coworkers, however there was a few instances where I encountered some rudeness and it was an overall negative envi
ProsLots of overtime and hours, good branch management
ConsFailing and obsolete equipment, understaffed, negative environment, underpaid, no work/life balance, stressful
This is a good filler job. If you are otherwise unemployed, this works. However, past that, it does little.
I am a "lead-type officer on the site" - a position that a half year into the role I still have no idea what the job duties entail. I was hired as a security guard and "promoted" during the 1st two weeks. I have been rigorous with emails to check the status, but it's a different excuse each time. At this point, I've lost hope.
Our CSM is useless. They run through CSMs like a baby with dirty diapers. I can't speak for other areas, but I'd probably ask to sit down and talk with CSM during your interview/before you accept your offer to get a feel for what they are like. A good CSM I would imagine would make the job more enjoyable.
The schedule is great - with my particular position. That's one of the few saving graces, and probably the reason I haven't thrown my hands up and said "later!".
The benefits package is horrible.
Vacation/Sick Leave (or lack thereof) - you get a week's pay deposited into your bank account after 1 year with the company. That's it for leave!
Vision, Dental, Health - vision and dental are standard plans. No complaints, but they don't get any honorable mentions, either. Health insurance is where they really get you. I'm a young guy, my health insurance is EXPENSIVE. More so than any other employer i've ever worked for. Also, your premium varies based on your salary/hourly rate and the amount of hours you worked. So if you worked 88
ProsDepending on the site, free lunches.
Consexpensive healthcare, lack of communication between management and employees.
I am truly honest when I say, management is Pathetic!!! I have only been here for a month, and I have been trying to give this company the benefit of the doubt and time to work on their flaws, but NO! Realistically, if you are in my same position, and you have BILLS to pay, stay with this job until finding something better. My first week seemed to flow quite fine. I received 40 hours, and the posts I was sent to weren't mediocre. However, I have noticed that management lacks problem-solving skills. There are people who go check in at work, then leave, and steal hours...and there are people who fall asleep and do absolutely nothing. As I work overnights, and am an exception to that, I still get calls from corporate. I do my job, I don't complain, but instead of a tiny ounce of appreciation, I am called about BS! If the client has an issue with you, if the Site Supervisor has an issue with you, or if you think you are doing great, and someone tries to nit pick at every little thing, you will be called in to the corporate office to meet. Man, security is too easy for a company to write you up and make you have a meeting for every little thing. My advice to management would be, stop treating your employees as though they are beneath you and everyone who holds authority. Appreciate your employees, and respect them because we are all adults! Stop handling petty situations with anger and a mentality to write up and terminate people. Security companies are contacted, and
Pros10/hour average pay, if you view that as being a "Pro"
ConsNo breaks, Hard Work does not pay off here! ABSOLUTELY NO CONSISTENCY! ROVER POSITION SUCKS, AS YOU WILL DRIVE MILES AROUND YOUR CITY JUST TO FIND WORK TO BUILD 40 HOURS PER WEEK, THIS MEANS, IF YOU WANT 40 HOURS, MOST CASES, YOU HAVE TO DRIVE 45+MILES AWAY FROM YOUR HOME! LOL DON'T DO IT, IT'S BETTER JOBS OUT HERE PPL!!!
I quit after 2 months of working for GW. Everything was going great with 5 days a week. Then it went down to 2 or 3 days a week. So being part time, I knew this would take in effect sooner or later. So the problem with my schedule became a problem aside from poor management. For a week on my schedule, I was set to work on Friday & Saturday...So I came in on Friday to find out my days were moved that week to Monday & Wednesday. So I spoke to them about it...I didn't know they had changed it. They told me I was supposed to call them, everyday to see of schedule changes. I was a little confused in why I had to be calling them everyday to make sure of any schedule changes. I still decided to just let it go and continue work & just call them to check for my schedule. Beginning of the next week came and I called & called & called...no answer. I called again on the next day...no answer. It got to a pay day and I went to pick up my *check. It is a twenty minute drive to work (which I'm not making just because they can't answer a phone to confirm my schedule). So when I got there, I checked the schedule and I wasn't on it. I asked them what is going on...they said I've been missing work days and you haven't called. Wow. I had told them I had been calling them & they didn't believe me. The worst part of being there the 2 months, was that they never setup my direct deposit (which I had gave them everything needed for them to). I had to drive up there, even on my days off just to pick up
Working a lot of hours while getting stabbed in the back by management because you are not their personal friend.
I was hired on with the Knoxville branch to help open up a month after i was hired. The branch opened up with the local Branch manager being fired a month later due to the Regional Vice President not agreeing with his decisions. Later everyone in the new branch decided to quit, but myself. Had the branch working great until I realized the person underneath of myself was planning with the acting branch manager to take over my position (was being back stabbed all the way by my supervisor who was two faced). I decided to leave due to family issues and found out later that the new supervisor had made everyone else quit due to him not being able to manage teammates and trying to pawn off his work to others so that he could leave early to visit his children. The upper management was told lies about the job I was doing so that the active "branch manager" could put his favorite person in charge instead of myself. This is the worse place to work. They claim to care about the messenger and driver but will refuse to acquire new vehicles (most of them have either over 500,000 miles or have been in major accidents and repaired with minor fixes), they over work you even if you tell the acting supervisor that you need more personnel, you will not receive them
until its too late and everyone else has quit, overtime does not start until 51 hours in a work week and pray that nothing is wrong with your pay check (if there is, you will not see the back pay for at least a couple of mon
I spent my time in Garda Armored Car Services as a employee who had difficulties and it would be very hard for me to work with unusual peoples with domestic problems because of the situation at hand and since that I have a military experience background they would hate to follow the way the job should be operated and only two percent liked me in Garda and before that I became a TVM Technician and did far better than others and some employees reported Garda for being insufficient at work. I was very neat in appearance and my boots stayed highly shined and I never missed a day of work and I would punch in at 6:55am exactly everyday for two years and 9 months and even when I was ill at times. I served Garda very well and covered myself on paper by using a notebook that I would carry everyday to work. The surrounding wasn't fun and the only way that you could have fun at work that if you and that partner of yours liked each others and I only endured misery and stress but I accomplished one advancement from Garda and that was a TVM Technician. I think that my life will be much better without Garda in it and I have learn to move on and learn from what has truly happened to me while I was there.
Note: I would try very hard to be accepted in Garda but ninety-eight percent rejected me because I was different and no one ever wanted to comprehend me but only five peoples for two years and nine months did and just about all the employees didn't want to teach the new employees the outlin
Prosno lunch breaks no healithcare
Consthere was no short breaks and healthcare was too expensive.
Began working with the company as an armored guard picking up and delivering money at banks, supermarkets, ATMs and other establishments. In 2001 I obtained my class B driver’s license and I was promoted to lead crew driver where I supervised a crew of two. During this time, I monitored the crew to ensure customer’s timely service to meet specified pick-up and delivery time request. Inspected the vehicle and performed a daily pre and post- trip inspection to comply with company policy and DOT regulations. In 2005, I was promoted to Vault Security where I collected deposits from the drivers, organized the next day’s currency delivery, monitored any suspected shortage of deposits and completed a mileage report of all delivery trucks. At the end of each day, I organized and loaded all collected deposits to a highly secured shuttle and transported to the final terminal for verification. In August 2012, I was promoted to assistant manager where I am able to utilize my prior experience with the company to implement cost saving and customer satisfaction procedures. Some of these procedures include overtime reduction by re-shifting some of the routes for timely delivery and setting up new customers in the appropriate route. Process payroll and closely monitor the need for overtime personnel. Prepare the weekly driver work schedule to make sure we are properly staffed. Work closely with our customers and drivers addressing their questions, problems or concerns. Arrange necessary emerg
Dead end job no room for advancement, you can either be a driver or a messenger that's it. extremely unethical, poor management, long work hours low pay dilapidated trucks that reach 100+ Degrees with broken ac,OSHA comes to the branch and fines them and they pay the fine and still don't fix the trucks. DO NOT WORK AT GARDAWORLD RUNNEMEDE. We were once told that if we don't like the working conditions to just quit, every other branch isn't as bad as this one. If you aren't friends with Management you are expendable and you will be treated as such. The level of nepotism and dishonesty is appalling. I've only been working here a short time and I already wanna quit. they pick and choose who they want to discipline but a friend of management walks in and does the same thing and they laugh and flirt with each other. its a disgusting work environment and once I find a better job I will leave before even completing my gun licensing. There's no way I'm going to become a messenger, right now I'm just driving and they blame every single thing on the messengers just because she sometimes get +2$ an hour that she has to fight everyday for, I'd rather be a trashman. I truly feel sorry for the men and woman who have been working at this dumpster fire for 10+ years to see them degraded and belittled and yelled at like they are children hurts me as not only as a co-worker but a human, oh and guess what?? you think management sounds bad? wait till you get a load of the customers!. I'm not say
Proscool uniforms
ConsFUMES, BROKEN RUSTED OUT TRUCKS, NO AC, HEAT EXHAUSTION, NO AC IN BUILDING, UNETHICAL MANAGEMENT, NEPOTISM, there's truly too many things to list
I was hired at the Mississauga branch as a casual hire, and what a waste of time it was working here for 6 months of my life. The entire facility is unmaintained and extremely dirty, the amount of black dust everywhere is a major cause for concern. The locker rooms are extremely filthy to the point that if you drop any of your black uniform on the floor for even a second, they will have dirt all over them. All their equipment is either damaged, faulty, or jury-rigged to barely work.
Their entire system is ridiculously out-dated and everything is done manually in a program that looks like it was made in the 1980s. The trucks are constantly on the brink (pun intended) of falling apart, and there is always issues with them. The managers are very disorganized and really don't care about anybody besides themselves and maybe the full-time guys that lick their boots.
The work culture is absolute garbage. People will step over you to get ahead, so trust no one. Everybody is talking about you behind your back, so if somebody starts chit-chatting and asks something like how many shifts you got this week, just don't tell them. They will complain behind your back and you'll either get shifts cancelled or receive not as many the preceding weeks. Don't make friends here, just do your job and go home if you are really that desperate. Everybody here is a back-stabber.
If you have the pleasure (sarcasm) of working with a full-timer, they will rush you to get the job done because the
ProsLook cool with a firearm, people think you're important
ConsBad hours, poor management, union politics, horrible work culture
I worked as a security dispatcher in the Ottawa office. The behaviour from "management" was unbelievable. The management would cuss at security guards and dispatch staff on a consistent basis. They would also spread rumors and gossip about all staff. Working there was almost unbearable.
I recall when a new member of the dispatch team was added, and instantly the gossip began. The new girl had an issue with the gossipping environment so she took it up with management within a few days of starting her new job. The management laughed in her face and as soon as she left, the management began screaming to other office staff, calling her a lying b**ch, saying that she's a loser, that she is going to get fired if she can't keep her anorexic mouth shut - all while a line of customers were waiting in the lobby, and they were hearing the entire thing.
The management are bullies. If you EVER brought up an issue to them, they would make your life miserable, and they would degrade you and put you down in front of the entire office. They would also take away your hours if you brought a concern to their attention to 'punish' you. If you emailed manager privately about an issue, everyone would know by the next day, because they often read personal emails out loud to mock you.
They were also VERY racist.
The management would consistently tell me "book a GOOD guard for "location", they have to be white and they have to actually be able to speak english. Don't give ____ any shifts, h
ProsDispatching was exciting and fun, the guards were great to talk to
ConsLong hours, made you work 12 hour shifts with only 8 hours between them, horrible management team
Gardaworld "The best of the worst in the industry"
I've been working there for 30+years, had experience in almost all departments. Unionized environment. If you're asking why I still work here after reading this...i'm retiring soon.
Typical day: You get to work, pick up your equipment & gun, verify everything is there, look at your stops (realized they overloaded your run again & clients will be mad...again), sometimes you can give the extra stuff to another team (which are probably newbies excited to have some hours), than you pick your favorite truck (if available or if not find one of the few that is still working), go to the vault & bring the bags to your truck, drive to the different stops (clients are usually respectful, cheerful to see you, but also 3/5 of them complain daily about the company's so call client servicing. I usually apologize by saying "sorry ma'am/sir, they're cutting again"). On the upside, If you're quick, you have guarantied hours (only for full timers), meaning the faster you finish the faster you go home with full pay.
Some of the GOOD:
If you're full time "you're in the money". 26.34$/hrs, health insurance, pension plan. You can find some friendly coworkers, lower management, clients. There's a nice cafeteria, many bathrooms, a big changing room with lockers & showers. Parking is 20.00$ per month. You have the responsibility of handling a firearm.
Now for the BAD:
For people thinking of working here know that you'll be part-time for ever...i'll take 20ish years to get a full time, they
ProsA OK pension plan for full time employees
ConsLower salary, no benefits/pension, awfull hours for part-time employees
A good opertunity for those who like a challenge... not so much for those who enjoy their sanity...
Working on a site that was acquired by GardaWorld meant trying to integrate the new company mentality/approach with the old company ideology to service delivery. There have been many struggles along the way and there has been a lack of support from the upper management team in delivering on our clients basic expectations. At a site level we often struggle to meet the basic expectations of the client, as there is little support from the scheduling department when regular and special coverage shifts go unstaffed. Often times when shifts run open the work is then reallocated to patrol staff on site. This leads to a reduced quality in scheduled duties, and increases the stress on Patrol Guards (who often have to forgo their full breaks to accommodate the increased work), Dispatchers and Supervisors who are expected to figure out how to run a shift with multiple extra coverage or even core coverage shifts open, accommodate breaks for fixed positioned staff and respond to unforeseen circumstances and emergencies, and then come back in 8, 12 or 16 hours and do it all over again and again. When guards are assigned for shifts from the scheduling pool they often arrive unequiped for their duty, lacking basic uniform items, claiming they were never issued them from the uniform department. GardaWorld management seems to come up with excuses or band-aid solutions rather than addressing head on the issues that they are faced with. There is also an apparent mentality that it is better to ru
ProsA challenging work environment, for those who are willing to step up to unpredictability on every shift
ConsA challenging work environment, for those who are willing to suffer through the unpredictability on every shift
When I first started last year it was horrible the first 3 hours HR started off saying just sign the papers I will explain to after keep in mind these are legal papers I'm going to read it then proceeded to try to rush me.
I didn't have a choice to come to this company it was pretty much you transfer or you don't have a job and with the economy I did what I had to just to find out they gave me decrease and didn't get inform of anything including my payday changes and all HR had to say was we look out for our staff and this was at Christmas so double payments had to take place cause of no notice. So when I needed help my site manager said just to call and she would come and help me so I needed help with reading my paystub or even explain it a year later nothing a few months ago I lost my login I sent a email and still haven't gotten anything.
I had 2 deaths in my family and I ended up in the hospital for almost a month with doctors notes and photos ever since then she has been rude to me and giving me attitude and yet she turns around and says don't give me attitude I don't want to fight with you and I have witnesses listening to her saying this and I am being calm. The day I had a check up she had a security guard her friend text me not to return to site and to go to head office so they can fire me after my doctor's appointment. The text didn't come from her but came from a security guard to me that is shady way of running a business and staff.
She will not return my
ProsGood Hours
ConsBesides Hours everything is Horrible
Questions And Answers about GardaWorld
How are the working hours at GardaWorld?
Asked Jun 15, 2016
I typically work 35-37 but sometimes goes all the way to around 20 because this company is horrible on how they schedule people.
Answered Jul 27, 2020
I hired on as part time, 3 days/week in December. About half the time since, it's been 6 days/week because of people quitting & the company expecting me to take up the slack. One day off following a night shift, so part of that gets slept away & that's it til the following week. Not what I signed up for.
Answered Jul 21, 2020
What is the work environment and culture like at GardaWorld?
Asked Jul 28, 2016
The employees are great but the company suck in a whole. The management team do not care about your safety. Imagine driving a bank truck with millions of dollars and the door doesn't shut. Your not safe in a unsafe environment
Answered Apr 5, 2021
The work environment in Louisiana was okay management don't care about you but I miss the workers
Answered Jul 17, 2020
What is the interview process like at GardaWorld?
Asked Jun 15, 2016
Since covid happened... I got a phone interview and a virtual interview. They both were easy and straightforward.
Answered Apr 2, 2021
Casual. Not put in impossible situations.
Answered Dec 2, 2020
What is the best part of working at GardaWorld?
Asked Dec 9, 2019
Nothing. This job is horrible.
Answered Dec 2, 2020
Doing patrols around the site.
Answered Nov 27, 2020
If you were in charge, what would you do to make GardaWorld a better place to work?
Asked Apr 11, 2017
Better management, better trucks and better pay.
Answered Sep 26, 2021
Fire the ENTIRE scheduling department at the Hard Rock Stadium office in Miami Gardens, FL. Hire professional and high-level, customer service- oriented individuals who DESIRE to help employees and will try to resolve issues as best as they can, (after all, it is a "scheduling" position, therefore they need to remember their purpose as an employee.
Scheduling department now needs a reality check and need to realize that they are NOT above the Customer Service Agents. Treat everyone with respect!
