I have researched this quite a few websites regarding accounting controls and could not find an answer to this question...

I work for an organization as a bookkeeper and have been a bookkeeper for over 20 years. I have been taught that the companies financials are private and confidential and should not be accessible to any "non accounting" personnel. However, my office is opened on the weekends when one of the receptionist is working because she has a key. The only reason to be in there is to possibly get the paychecks from a small safe in my office. I seem to be having a hard time explaining that the number of people with an office key should be the administrator, the business manager, myself (bookkeeper) and maintenance. Maintenance can always unlock the door for them to get what they need and lock it back up.

I feel as if I am doing something wrong by not keeping tighter security on all that confidential information. Do you see a problem with the scenerio?

I'm not sure what you're trying to do. First, is this for real? i.e. are you really a bookkeeper and you're really trying to explain this to someone? Or is this a scenario made up for class? I'm not sure what it is you are supposed to be doing? Finding an official reason why the receptionist shouldn't have a key? Or are you asking if you're correct that she shouldn't?

I am sorry, I did not make myself clear. I am a bookkeeper and have been for 20 years but I do not have any degree. I am use to working for companies that see their financial information as confidential and private and it has never been obtainable to anyone but myself, my supervisor and the company president.

Where I work now my office use to be obtainable to any employee who wanted to use the phone, eat their lunch at a table in there and obtain something from the safe or resident files. As the business manager handles the resident files and I handle the A/P the files are in opposite offices soon to be moved to the correct office. Once that is done the only reason for anyone to enter the accounting office (my office) would be to obtain something from the safe which they should not have to do on weekends. The business manager wants to allow the reception office to still have a key because she "trust them". I don't know them and I don't like the idea of them going in my office with this confidential information to eat lunch. The auditors have advised me that things should change and that the office should not be obtainable by anyone outside administration. The file cabinets in my office do not lock, they are broken. I have stopped them from using the office to "store" things in such as supplies, their favorite chair, etc.

I am just wondering how professionals view this and if they think it's and issue or not. It's an honest question and I hate sounding dumb but was my previous employers correct when they had tight reigns on that information or is this new employer right and things don't need to be that "tight".