Confessions of Former Employees: Key Management Gone Wrong

What drives employees to violate key control policies? Behind every security breach is a human element. This collection of real-life confessions comes from people who compromised their former employers’ key security. Some act out of desperation, others for personal gain, and some through simple negligence. Their stories offer insight into workplace security vulnerabilities and motivations for unethical behavior. Learn from their experiences to strengthen your organization’s key control policies.

1. Proving a Point

I purposely left keys I knew that my boss needed in her locked office to show how dumb it is to have one entire set of keys for three different [locations].

Background

In a Reddit post, the poster’s employer only had one set of keys to cover three locations. Employees frequently misplaced the keys, leading to chaotic lockup routines and extended closing times. The manager was opposed to making additional copies because of security concerns.

Motivation

The employee was frustrated with their employer's inefficiency and disorganization. By locking the keys in the boss’s office, the staff member wanted to make a point about how impractical it was to have  a single set of keys for multiple locations.

Lesson 

Electronic key control systems solve operational inefficiencies by securely storing keys, tracking access, and preventing misplacement. Proactively address employee concerns to identify and resolve systemic challenges, which in turn allows employees to do their jobs without unnecessary delays.

 

2. Looking for Leverage

Representatives of a workers’ union told media that employees of a vehicle manufacturing plant took 200 to 300 vehicle keys during a strike.

Background

Facing a potential factory closure that threatened 3,000 jobs, employees went on strike. They stated they’d keep the keys they’d taken until the future of their jobs was clear.

Motivation

Employees were frustrated by the uncertainty surrounding their livelihoods. Their desperation drove them to confiscate the keys in hopes of pressuring the company to provide clarity and job security.

Lesson

Plan ahead to mitigate risk in times of unrest. Securing keys in an electronic key control system with user restrictions limits who can check out keys. Even if an authorized user removes a large number, the system creates an automatic audit trail. The system’s reports can help account for all the keys when they’re returned.

3. “Cleaning Up”

After being arrested, a temporary election worker told detectives that “he took the fob for 20 minutes the day before and then gave it back.”

Background

The suspect was arrested after stealing a lanyard containing keys and a security fob used to access ballot tabulation machines. The theft disrupted operations at the tabulation center, requiring the county to reprogram its machines and security fobs, costing $19,000. County workers and security found the lanyard with keys on it in his vehicle, and detectives later discovered the fob in his home after executing a search warrant.

Motivation

The exact motive remains unclear. The suspect told detectives that “the job was temporary and he was trying to make it permanent, so he wanted to clean up.” He also suggested that taking the keys may have been a mistake.

Lesson 

Temporary employees present unique security risks. If they’re required to have access to keys, implement strict access controls, such as time-limited permissions, user accounts that automatically deactivate after their last day, and alerts for overdue keys.

Time-Limited Key Checkout Permissions

User Settings With Deactivation Date

4. Stealing to Sell

A rental car agency employee admitted to stealing five key fobs a day to resell.

Background

The company’s risk management department asked to speak with the employee after an inventory check revealed several key fobs were unaccounted for. A supervisor became suspicious after hearing keys jingling in the employee’s backpack. Upon inspection, the backpack contained 27 stolen key fobs and a small quantity of marijuana. Law enforcement later found a notebook documenting the sales of stolen keys.

Motivation

The employee’s motivations are clear and simple: financial gain.

Lesson

It’s important to conduct regular inventory checks and enforce strict internal controls. Electronic key control systems can speed up the audit process and help identify missing keys quickly.

5. Keeping Keys

Even though I’ve been gone … for five years, I still have my work keys with me.

Background

In a TikTok video, a former bank employee admitted to still having keys from a job he left years ago (though the keys are now useless since the branch has since closed). He explained that around 10 years ago, he left his work keys in his vehicle — a violation of company policy. The vehicle was later broken into and ransacked. Assuming the thieves had taken the work keys as well, he reported the incident to his employer. Although leaving keys in his car was a fireable offense, the employer issued him a replacement set. A week later, the man found the original keys in the trash. He never turned them in.

Motivation

The man was afraid his employer would accuse him of lying and terminate him.

Lesson

A culture of accountability and a reliable key management system are essential. Securing keys on-site in a key control system rather than allowing employees to take them home reduces the risks of keys being lost or stolen.

6. Fearing Fallout

I have a set of keys with I believe 15-20 keys on it, half dispenser keys, few useless, old keys and four or five master keys. They went missing on the last day of my workweek and after searching up and down, I cannot find them anywhere. They are GONE.

Background

After losing a set of keys, a housekeeper at a gym/daycare facility posted on Reddit asking about the potential consequences and advice on how to proceed. Although they assumed their workplace had a key control policy, they weren’t familiar with it. They shared that at a previous job, they had been threatened with termination or even arrest after handing keys off to a coworker, who later lost them.

Motivation

The employee was concerned about losing the "only good job I’ve ever had" and the financial burden of lock replacement. They said, "I don’t have the money to pay thousands of dollars to change all the locks," and feared being arrested for the loss because of the threats they experienced at a previous job.

Lesson

Establish transparent key control policies with comprehensive employee education and key control training. Proper documentation and accountability can prevent confusion, reduce anxiety over lost keys, and ensure proper key handling.

7. Seeking Thrills

I have keys to multiple people’s houses and a couple of buildings/garages from my old job.

Background

A Reddit poster admitted to making copies of keys people lent them. They later use the copies to access the places without the owners knowing.

Motivation

The poster is motivated by a sense of power and thrill-seeking. They wrote, “I love the feeling of being able to effortlessly enter a place I know I don’t belong without anyone’s knowledge.”

Lesson Learned

To reduce the risk of unauthorized duplication, hold employees accountable by securing keys in an electronic key control system that tracks who checks out keys, when, and why. Systems that require keys to be securely attached to specialized tags make duplication difficult. Someone would have to forcefully remove the key from the tag and reattach it without leaving any evidence of tampering. For this reason, it’s important to establish a tagging process and ensure only system administrators have access to tagging supplies.

Keys Attached to KeyTrak Key Tag

8. Pushing Back

My boss is calling wanting me to return work keys. I’m in no hurry. … They have put me through so much grief that I really don’t feel like returning them at all.

Background

A recently terminated employee posted on Avvo asking if they’re legally obligated to return their work keys and if they can be arrested for failing to do so.

Motivation

This former employee’s actions appear to be motivated by retribution for their employer’s perceived mistreatment. By withholding the keys, they sought a sense of control over the situation and a way to push back.

Lesson Learned

Implement clear and enforceable key return policies. To minimize conflict during offboarding, communicate expectations and consequences for failing to return keys. In addition, promptly deactivate departing employees’ access control permissions and key control system accounts to maintain security.

9. Laughing It Off

At my first job, I accidentally took the key to the storage room home with me in my shirt pocket. I didn’t even realize I was the one who took it until after they busted the door down and replaced the lock! I actually helped look for it lmao!

Background

A Reddit poster recounted an incident from their first job in which they mistakenly took a key home without realizing it. They actively participated in the search for the lost key and didn’t realize their mistake until the door had already been rekeyed. They ultimately never came forward and still possess the key years later.

Motivation

The individual didn’t seem to act out of malice, but the humor in their confession reflects a dismissive perspective.

Lesson

Implementing a key control system that automatically records who took a key and when can help quickly locate missing keys and prevent similar incidents. In addition, establishing a culture where employees recognize the consequences of losing keys can save time, money, and unnecessary stress.

Protecting Your Organization

These stories reveal that key control isn’t just about locks and keys — it’s about understanding human behavior, whether motivated by negligence or intentional misconduct. To address any security vulnerabilities in your organization, it’s important to:

• Create a clear key control policy that establishes consequences for loss or misuse.
• Secure keys in an electronic key control system.
• Set up alerts for unreturned keys and conduct a daily key audit.
• Foster a culture of accountability.
• Provide ongoing employee training.

The most effective approach to security anticipates human complexity. By proactively understanding and addressing potential vulnerabilities, you can improve operational efficiency and employee accountability.