A
lockout is a temporary
work stoppage or denial of employment initiated by the management of a company during a
labor dispute. This is different from a
strike, in which employees refuse to work. It is usually implemented by simply refusing to admit employees onto company premises, and may include actions such as changing locks and hiring security guards for the premises. Other implementations include a
fine for showing up, or a simple refusal of clocking-in on the
time clock. It is therefore referred to as the antithesis of strike.