Starting off with the least of the many problems - the pay is done by cheque and is mailed to you every two weeks, this of course means getting your pay when you expect it is at the mercy of the postal service.
Now guards are being forced to pay $150 out of their own pockets for their ANNUAL "use of force" training which was emphasized as mandatory for all employees in order to maintain employment. So if you have already been certified on your own through a class or even the military be ready to pay again.
The pay cheques have minimal transparency with regards to what you were paid and deducted for. It is extremely vague and in turn very difficult to spot an error.
Even for a security company the turnover rate is extremely high and at most of my sites I constantly had to work with different people and train them.
Management and dispatch have been known to go on bombastic tirades and go into hysterics with employees over the phone. Not professional in any manner by any standards.
Every piece of the uniform is paid for by the guard, and it is compulsory to purchase everything including duty belts, armor, and pouches through the company.
Their "VIP Club" sites which they advertise in their recruitment ads are actually family restaurants and bowling alleys.
At some sites in particular you would not get the chance to sit down at all over the course of a 6 hour shift. In other words you would not get a break for 6 hours.
The company also has a habit of giving guards multiple sites to work at in one day with no time in between to eat, shower, or sleep. Usually it is barely enough time to reach the second site at all.
Your pay also varies a large amount based on where you work. Of course they will not openly tell you the rate of pay for each site but rather you will figure it out on your own if you pay attention to your pay cheque. You are also explicitly warned not to ask about pay.
I will not discuss the stories that other guards have told me as they are not personal experiences of mine however I will say the things I heard were appalling to say the least.
I personally have had last minute schedule changes that I was not informed of, then called by a dispatcher an hour into my 4 hour shift asking why I'm not there. After going "oops" realizing they never informed me they still made me rush over to a distant site for 3 hours of work.
The only positive Google review of this company bares the name of the company's owner. That alone should tell you about the management more than words can.
Although every fellow guard I dealt with was a nice person, some have been working for the company for nearly a year and didn't have a clue as to how to write a report!
So much for the spiel that is given during orientation talking about how they only want the best and most professional guards.
Companies like this are the reason security is a bottom tier job in Toronto. Stay far away if you are seeking employment.
If you want to hire security solely for the purpose of reducing your insurance costs, then I'm sure this company would be willing to undercut most anyone.
