Requiring CCW for Employees: A Smart Move

Gun Watch ^ | 17 April, 2017 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

In a recent defense story from Cleveland, Ohio, a man said that he had a concealed carry permit because his past employer required it. From cleveland.com:

He said he has a concealed carry permit because he used to work at a barbershop, and the owner required barbers to get their concealed carry licenses for their protection.

I suspect that more businesses are taking this approach. It brings about many benefits. Last year, we had the example of a Georgia business owner who required his employees to be armed. He would give them a Taurus Judge revolver when they showed him their concealed carry permit.

Here are a few of the advantages.  They have been hidden behind false narratives and misinformation about people who legally carry guns.

1. Employees with a concealed carry permit are a deterrent to robbery and physical attacks on the business premises.  This may seem obvious, but you will find many who claim, without support, that it is not so.  Having more than one employee armed at a location makes it an extremely unattractive target.  There are too many variables, and too much to go wrong for any thinking robber.

2. There is an obvious, clear screen to limit employees to a select, high quality level.  Permit holders are self selected to be one of the most law abiding, responsible groups in the nation.  Their crime rates are only a fraction of those of police officers; they are many more times as law abiding as the general population.

3. Your employees are in a group that puts a high value on personal responsibility and self reliance.  This is the group least likely to blame you for personal failures, or to see your business as a potential source of a "liability lottery".  They look ahead, see problems, and do things about them. 

4. The state is now doing a continuous screening process for you, one that is actionable and clear.  If an employee becomes likely to have problems (according to the state, not the employer), their permit will be taken from them.  The employer then has reason to dismiss the employee.

In some states there is another benefit.

Wisconsin, Kansas, and Tennessee offer immunity from lawsuit if the employer allows employees to be armed. From Wis. Stat. § 175.60(21)(b), (c):

(b) A person that does not prohibit an individual from carrying a concealed weapon on property that the person owns or occupies is immune from any liability arising from its decision.

From kslegislature.org 75-7c10(c)(2)

(2) Any private entity which does not provide adequate security measures in a private building and which allows the carrying of a concealed handgun shall not be liable for any wrongful act or omission relating to actions of persons carrying a concealed handgun concerning acts or omissions regarding such handguns.

From tndefenselitigation.com:

(a) A person, business, or other entity that owns, controls, or manages property and has the authority to prohibit weapons on that property by posting, pursuant to § 39–17–1359, shall be immune from civil liability with respect to any claim based on such person's, business's, or other entity's failure to adopt a policy that prohibits weapons on the property by posting pursuant to § 39–17–1359.

The advantages are clear. We will be seeing more business owners with this policy.

©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

Gun Watch

[Purdue77]

My wife patronizes a hair salon near our house where the female owner of the salon requires all of her girls to have a cwp and to be armed while in the salon. It is a condition of employment.

[AlaskaErik]

There’s a gun shop in my town where the clerks opening wear pistols on their hips.

Criminals will just wait until closing time.

[AlaskaErik]

I’m not sure if I like the idea of requiring it, not everybody is cut out to handle a firearm.

Exactly! In addition to it making for a safer workplace, it's a weeding out process. If you can't handle a firearm, what else can't you handle?

[2001convSVT]

2. There is an obvious, clear screen to limit employees to a select, high quality level.  Permit holders are self selected to be one of the most law abiding, responsible groups in the nation.  Their crime rates are only a fraction of those of police officers; they are many more times as law abiding as the general population.

This is what many business are doing, it is saveing them a lot in background checks.

[Husker24]

Some people are just too nervous and jumpy , they could get into a situation that could put them in prison for the rest of their life.

[AlaskaErik]

Some people are just too nervous and jumpy , they could get into a situation that could put them in prison for the rest of their life.

Again, this helps weed out those types of people. Would you want a jumpy nervous type working for you?

[Paperpusher]

There are few gun shops in Tennessee that do NOT have clerks wearing pistols openly.

[Wonder Warthog]

"I’m not sure if I like the idea of requiring it, not everybody is cut out to handle a firearm.

Define "handle a firearm". Civilian CCW does NOT require the same facility with a firearm as police or military. A better phrase is "SAFELY handle a firearm", which probably 95% or more of the population can qualify for. Safe handling of a firearm is NOT complicated.

[BigpapaBo]

That be a “Raging Judge”. Un-ported 454 casull kinda hurts even with the added weight. I put 15 rounds down range. Was enough for me.

[Captain Rhino]

I have never seen one but even if I did, it would just be CYA and not really necessary.

Virtually every DoD contractor employee handbook I have ever seen forbids bringing anything dangerous or hazardous into the workplace - especially firearms. Almost all of the person-to-person interaction is between DoD military, DoD government civilian, and DoD contractors and we are all covered by the same rules.

For some companies, it is a firing offense to even have a weapon in your car if it is parked on company property.

Of course, the high security and/or prime target facilities are fenced, controlled entrance operations with lots of armed guards. Like going through screening at an airport or at a courthouse entrance.