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I work for a major grocer in San Antonio. I don't work in the stores, but in the employee handbook it clearly states that employees can not posses a weapon in any building or parking lot owned or leased by the company either on or off the clock. I am okay with not being allowed to carry while at work, It would be nice to be able to leave my gun in the car, but that is a no go also. However not being able to carry when I go shopping on the weekend seems excessive, luckily my wife can protect me. What does eveyone think of that?

I would like to send a letter to leadership asking them to reconsider there off the clock policy for CHL holders, but I need some pointers on verbiage. Are there any good sites out there with stats on why they shouldn't restrict licensed CHL owners, who also happen to be employees.

Decide very carefully whether you want to bring this up. You will be bringing undue attention to yourself and if there is an anti-gun sentiment in your company, you might be harming your future with them.

Trying to change company policy is seldom successful, especially with larger firms.

I suppose you get enough employee discount to make shopping at a competitor impractical?

Shopping at a competitor is also something that I would not bring up. But if you were ever seen doing so by your management, it would provide a wonderful opportunity to discuss the subject.

"Gee, Boss, I would love to shop in our stores, but our company policy clearly prevents me from doing that."

I don't see how they can legally do anything against you while you are off the clock. I'd just carry and not worry about it.

flb_78 wrote:I don't see how they can legally do anything against you while you are off the clock. I'd just carry and not worry about it.

they can't legally, but they can fire you, it's Texas they can fire you for being ugly if they want. I love it! And I hate it, but I would just shop at a different store or just keep it in the car.

It is against my company policy to have a gun in my vehicle - I still have one, I just do not advertise. They even state that they can do random searches in the parking lot. I keep my handgun in a lockbox where you cannot tell what is in it, if they ever check I do not plan on opening it. I will conveniently "forget" the key at home that day. If they want to fire me I will look for another job. Within a couple of months I will be working for another employer, hopefully they will not be anti-gun.

mrvmax wrote:They even state that they can do random searches in the parking lot. I keep my handgun in a lockbox where you cannot tell what is in it, if they ever check I do not plan on opening it. I will conveniently "forget" the key at home that day.

Some insane companies are bringing in dogs that can smell gunpowder.

mrvmax wrote:They even state that they can do random searches in the parking lot. I keep my handgun in a lockbox where you cannot tell what is in it, if they ever check I do not plan on opening it. I will conveniently "forget" the key at home that day.

Tell them it's either medical records or religious implements; either way, opening it would be giving them information they're not supposed to have. If in doubt, tell them it's your wife's medical records.

Frost wrote:Some insane companies are bringing in dogs that can smell gunpowder.

Some sane employees might be sprinkling Bullseye on every car in the lot.

KD5NRH wrote:

mrvmax wrote:They even state that they can do random searches in the parking lot. I keep my handgun in a lockbox where you cannot tell what is in it, if they ever check I do not plan on opening it. I will conveniently "forget" the key at home that day.

Tell them it's either medical records or religious implements; either way, opening it would be giving them information they're not supposed to have. If in doubt, tell them it's your wife's medical records.

Just tell them you are a Grammaton Cleric and they are the tools of your trade.

I don't think I would write them a letter about it either. They are not likely to change their policy, but it could draw unwanted attention to yourself. I would just carry "CONCEALED" as I always do and not tell them I have a "CONCEALED" hand gun. It is "CONCEALED" after all. How would they know you have it?

Some insane companies are bringing in dogs that can smell gunpowder.

Those dogs would drop dead if they started sniffing around one of my vehicles. I'm using AA#2 as talc.

HighVelocity wrote:

Some insane companies are bringing in dogs that can smell gunpowder.

Those dogs would drop dead if they started sniffing around one of my vehicles. I'm using AA#2 as talc.

i wonder what they would think of my CLP and Hoppes scented air fresheners.

bkjunk, I'd carry at least in my vehicle policy or no policy. Are they going to protect you off the clock? hell, are they going to protect you ON the clock! lol, I think not. Companies like that are only looking out for themselves.

flb_78 wrote:I don't see how they can legally do anything against you while you are off the clock. I'd just carry and not worry about it.

That depends upon how the employer has handled the actual notification. If no oral notification has been given and the no-guns stipulation is printed in the employee manual in text that does not conform to 30.06, the employer can't have you charged with criminal trespass. It doesn't matter whether you're on the clock or off. If you've been given oral notification by someone in apparent authority over the property, that sticks forever just as if the property had been posted with a valid 30.06 sign. Again, it doesn't matter whether or not you're on the clock, or whether you're an employee or not; 30.06 makes no distinction between employees and non-employees.

'Course, as Pinkycatcher noted, Texas is a right-to-work state, so an employer can technically terminate you for looking cross-eyed, no trespass law needed.

What exactly property is as it pertains to 30.06 isn't as crystal clear as it could be. For example, most grocery stores I've seen are located in shopping centers where they share contiguous parking areas with other tenants. The grocery store may own the shopping center and parking area and lease to other tenants, or it may be a tenant itself and pay rent for a comensurate number of parking spaces. Regardless, I think that's one example that blurs the issue of "property" under 30.06 when it comes to the legality of bkjunk keeping a handgun locked in the car.

Clarifying these kinds of issues is one reason the so-called "parking lot bill" is so important to get passed when when it comes up again in the 2009 Texas legislative session.

Skiprr wrote:'Course, as Pinkycatcher noted, Texas is a right-to-work state, so an employer can technically terminate you for looking cross-eyed, no trespass law needed.

Excellent post, but I have to point out a technical flaw here: Texas is an at-will employment state, which is entirely different from right-to-work. (Texas is also right-to-work, but that's not what is being referenced here.)

"Right-to-work" means no employee can be forced to join a union as a condition of employment. "At-will employment" means that both employee and employer have equal rights to terminate the employment without notice.

ScubaSigGuy wrote:i wonder what they would think of my CLP and Hoppes scented air fresheners.

Don't forget that most smokeless powders are very soluble in acetone in case you want some new scents :)

Black powder isn't easily soluble in anything common, but the potassium nitrate is water soluble, and probably what the dogs would be sniffing for anyway.