Should employees be allowed to park in patients’ parking spots when the parking spots are empty?

That’s the question in today’s story. One employee decides to abide by the company’s parking policies that work for him and work against him at the same time.

Let’s take a look!

Employee Parking?

To give a little backstory, I work at a medical facility, and the company is a very large employer in the immediate area.

My wife and I both work for this company, albeit at separate locations. I work at the main facility, which is a significantly large campus in the next town over.

This is a busy place, it’s a large hospital, and I work nights.

This is all relevant.

He used to be able to park near the medical facility at night.

Night shift and swing shift, or pretty much anyone starting at or after 4pm is allowed to park pretty much anywhere.

This is because most of our facilities are shut down and non-accessible to patients or visitors.

The parking lot most of my coworkers (and myself) park in is actually next to a series of offices that were recently relocated, so it’s even more empty and useless space than usual, especially at night.

Out of nowhere, all the employers parking in this area are getting tickets from the company.

It’s patient parking, and employees must park in employee designated areas (which are, of course, the gravel pit that’s about a twenty-thirty minute walk from the main facility or the back forty that are just as far, just on a different side of the campus).

OP complied but wasn’t about to walk 20 minutes.

Because the weather has been bad, and because I received a ‘compliance warning ticket’, I emailed my department manager and said I would be happy to follow the parking policy.

So tonight (technically last night, I only just got home) I drive my happy little self to work, and I park a good twenty minutes from the main entrance.

Then I called our security team.

You see, our facility has in place a policy that at any time (literally any of the 24 hours in the day), any patient, visitor, or staff member may call the security office and ask for the courtesy shuttle to pick them up and escort them to any of the facilities on campus.

So I did, and I let them know where I was parked (under a marked street light, very helpful) and told them I would be waiting for my escort to the main entrance.

OP also had security drive him back to his car.

They came, after warning me that I shouldn’t rely on them, and I let them know that if it was an issue they were welcome to provide to me, in writing, a reason why so I would be able to in turn provide that to my supervisor.

And this morning, at the end of my shift, I called and asked for someone to meet me at the main entrance so I could be escorted back to my vehicle.

When I was dropped off at my car this morning, I asked if the security officer would be back tonight (we’d been making small talk).

OP made sure the security guard knew he planned to request an escort again.

I told him I would be back and would be calling again, if he wanted or needed to pass that on.

Again, I was told that security is busy and has other concerns.

I told him I would continue to park in the employee parking spaces, but given the unsafe weather conditions I would be relying on security to escort me to and from the building, per our companies policy and procedures. I reminded him that any accident on company property whilst I was either on my way to or out the door from work is still covered under workman’s comp, and let him know I would see him tonight.

I’m pretty sure security does have much larger concerns, but until policy is actually set in ink that nights/evenings are exempt from the employee parking rules, I plan on continuing to be a compliant little jerk.

The parking rules at night do sound pretty ridiculous. I wonder how long this will go on before the policy changes.

This reader thinks the employee parking is way too far away.

Another reader thinks OP should keep calling security.

This reader suggests getting other employees to call security too.

Here’s a good reason to get the other employees on board with this malicious compliance…

One reader suggests trying to get paid for the time to get to and from the parking lot.

At least calling security is an option. Getting other employees to call security too would be a good idea.

If you liked that post, check out this post about a woman who tracked down a contractor who tried to vanish without a trace.