You Knew The Conditions Of Employment When You Took The Job

[FN1910]

My job won't let me carry, but I still do. Concealed means concealed. I can get another Job. Another life is harder to come by...

I think that if another job were that easy to get I would go ahead and get it rather than getting fired and finding that getting fired caused me not to be able to get that other job.

[FN1910]

I'd like to see states pass laws that shield employers from liability for firearm related issues when licensed CCW holders carry on the job. As you point out an employer might not personally object to having someone carry on the job if there wasn't major financial risk associated with it (insurance premiums, lawsuits etc). By removing the employer liability for it you'd eliminate the financial obstacle to carrying on the job. The law could have a requirement that employees have attended basic handgun training like the NRA Basic pistol course. That would placate some of the objections you might get in constitutional carry states where anti gunners would state "any untrained bozo could come in with a gun" (we all know the reality though - any untrained bozo could always come in with a gun regardless of laws or jurisdiction - looking at you Illinois). Arizona has tended to be a pretty forward thinking state where handgun laws are concerned - how about it Arizona?

Laws shielding someone from liability do not always work and many times work in the opposite of what they are intended. Even the Castle Doctrine laws do not completely shield you from liability no matter what you have been told. When I worked with the power company and helped the legal department with their defenses I found out all about this. It did not matter what kind of signs we would put up and that we far exceeded all legal and code requirements, it did not make up for the stupidity of some people. When CB radios were the rage it seemed like once a month there was a new case where someone tried to erect a 50' antenna directly under a power line only 30' high. Or in one case a 50' mast on a sail boat while still on a trailer directly under a line only 50' high with a sign stating that only 5' from where the trailer was parked.

[jg1967]

To those who somewhat nonchalantly posted that they carry anyway, please realize that depending on your state your employers restriction carries the weight of the law. That means, you get busted (not necessarily a self defense shooting, just somebody for whatever reason noticing your gun) you are in real trouble. It's not just the job you loose, it's your CCW permit and depending on whether in your locality the violation is considered a felony your permanent gun rights are gone.

[marcparis]

Laws shielding someone from liability do not always work and many times work in the opposite of what they are intended. Even the Castle Doctrine laws do not completely shield you from liability no matter what you have been told. When I worked with the power company and helped the legal department with their defenses I found out all about this. It did not matter what kind of signs we would put up and that we far exceeded all legal and code requirements, it did not make up for the stupidity of some people. When CB radios were the rage it seemed like once a month there was a new case where someone tried to erect a 50' antenna directly under a power line only 30' high. Or in one case a 50' mast on a sail boat while still on a trailer directly under a line only 50' high with a sign stating that only 5' from where the trailer was parked.

Definitely the devil is in the details and an even slightly poorly written law can leave a hole the size of a dump truck for a scumbag ambulance chaser to drive through however currently there are no legal protections or incentives for an employer to allow CCWs to carry at work. I figure putting a law out there that does would be a start. It could later be refined to fix up loopholes and ensure that it works as intended.

Alternatively we could take the more aggressive approach and pass a law that doesn't allow an employer or business to prevent you from carrying in their establishment if you are legally allowed to do so. There is a precedent here, we've passed equal employment opportunity laws, laws prohibiting the refusal of sale or service based on race etc, and the Americans with Disability act so the government is already imposing itself in the business' hiring and sales processes. This is done to protect individual civil rights. Well one could argue that the 2nd amendment being now firmly established as an individual right is deserving of the same protections. Personally I'd rather see a law pass that removes the disincentives from allowing CCW. Forcing employers to allow CCW feels wrong even if it's to protect 2nd amendment rights.

BTW I am neither advocating for or against equal employment laws or the ADA. I'm simply pointing out that we already have other laws that restrict employers "freedom in running their business" for the purpose of protecting individual civil rights. If you accept those laws then it's not that big a jump to accept it for the 2nd amendment which is also an individual right. As a side note it's really funny to see a liberal foam at the mouth when you start talking about 2nd amendment rights as the next phase of the civil rights struggle.