The Right to Bear Arms From a Human Resources Perspective

Did you know in 2018 there was 351 intentional workplace shootings? Being killed by a firearm at work is the third largest cause of death in a workplace. If you are a woman you are most likely to be killed by a family member with a gun at your workplace, and if you are a man you are most likely to be killed in a robbery in your workplace. Unfortunately, gun violence is a common part of life. Most days you cannot look at any media source without hearing about some sort of gun violence whether close to home or in the workplace.

The right to bear arms is always a hot topic here in the United States, and an important one from both a personal and business perspective. I recently took part in a recent lecture on The Right to Bear Arms and wanted to share some important HR related takeaways with you.

Property Owners

If you own the land your company is located on you can ask anyone carrying a firearm to leave the premises and they need to comply. If someone enters your property when you have clear signage stating that firearms are prohibited, it is a criminal offense that needs to be handled accordingly. Transversely if you do allow open carry on your company owned property you are allowed to make that call in open carry states. The important takeaway here is that you need to own the property your company is on and you need to have correct signage.

Signage

It’s imperative you add proper signage for your business that clearly states your companies policy around guns on site. You signage needs to:

-be in both English and Spanish

-printed with contrasting colors to stand out

-be clearly visible where you have it displayed

-the font needs to be one inch tall

Negligence

As an employer you hope to never have a violent incident in your workplace, however, it does happen. To protect your business, ensure all employees are subject to regular background checks every 2-5 years and rewrite your company policies on carrying firearms at work, as well as violent or harassing behavior. You need to be up to date to protect your business from negligence should you ever have an incident. Also, make sure to stay up to date on your state specific gun legislation.

Prohibiting Firearms

Many people feel strongly about their right to bear arms, so prohibiting firearms can be a tricky thing to tackle. Business owners can prohibit the right to carry firearms in company vehicles and in chemical production plants and refineries. As a business owner you can also prohibit firearms from being on site in your workplace with proper signage present if you own the property your company is on, however, employees can store licensed firearms in vehicles in the parking lot out of site.

Working to keep your company a safe one starts with updating your policies and following state guidelines on gun control. If you’re in need of assistance, Meadows Resources is here to help!