Who would quit their job

[Kalrog]

These days I work at Home Depot, and have several offers in a similar pay range, so moving on would not be a problem. Home Depot has a "No Weapons" policy, which includes knives and other things they consider to be weapons, and also the parking lot is off limits.

I used to work at Builder's Square (K-Mart owned direct competitor to Home Depot in those days) back in High School. I don't know as though I could have done my job without a box cutter and/or knife. How does that work at Home Depot when I see most of the floor associates carrying knives?

[pt145ss]

My employer does have a fairly strict weapons policy. It is not 30.06 compliant so going to jail is not a concern for me. The weapon policy is odd in my opinion because two out of the top three guys have their CHL. We talked to one of the top guys who we thought would be on our side and he basically said that policies are formed by committee and must be approved at several levels...i.e. HR and the Board. Our CCO said that his concern is that if we table any changes to the current policy, HR might get smart and make the policy 30.06 compliant and we should just let a sleeping dog lay.

I carry to work everyday…but I leave it locked up in the trunk once i get there.

My concern is that i must keep a roof over my family's head and food on the table. My employer pays me well (at or above state and national averages for my job description) and they treat us well. Could I find employment elsewhere?...Yes...Is it possible to find employment at a higher salary?...less likely but possible...Could I find another job where i like my chain of command and they treat me well?...I don't know and I think I would be really hard pressed to find all three...let alone all three of the afore mentioned and one that does not have a weapons policy...It would be the proverbial needle in a hay stack.

Does anyone have any statistics on how many mid sized companies (200 employees and 15 billion in assets) that do not have a weapons policy...versus the number mid sized companies that do have a weapons policy. If I had to guess (and this is only a guess) I would say that probably 90% of all mid sized...professional (i.e. Banking, advertising, business solutions developers, and etc)...will have some form of weapons policy.

Long story short...and against the norm here...it would take a lot more than a 30.06 sign or a weapons policy for me to quit.

[jimlongley]

These days I work at Home Depot, and have several offers in a similar pay range, so moving on would not be a problem. Home Depot has a "No Weapons" policy, which includes knives and other things they consider to be weapons, and also the parking lot is off limits.

I used to work at Builder's Square (K-Mart owned direct competitor to Home Depot in those days) back in High School. I don't know as though I could have done my job without a box cutter and/or knife. How does that work at Home Depot when I see most of the floor associates carrying knives?

We get issued Home Depot official utility knives with blades that do not extend as far as regular utility knives, all other knives are unauthorized and may be considered prohibited weapons. This being Texas, most associates do carry other knives, but you usually couldn't pay them enough to use them on the job.

A couple of weeks ago a fellow associate was trying to cut heavy hemp line with the heated rope cutter, which doesn't work very well, and then tried to use his utility knife to no avail. I was walking by and pulled out my small SOG Flash, and he kind of giggled that that puny little thing wasn't going to be much use - then it took only two strokes for me to cut the hemp - we did discuss the possibility that I might have gotten caught using the prohibited knife.

It's not the first, nor I expect the last, time I have used non Home Depot issued tools to do my job.

[DoubleJ]

The moment their employer posted a 30-06 sign and wouldn't allow CHL?

Not me.

I'd still carry and just be more careful.

I dunno about you, I personally would not admit to planning on breaking the law on a public forum.

[M9FAN]

My employer does have a fairly strict weapons policy. It is not 30.06 compliant so going to jail is not a concern for me....

I carry to work everyday…but I leave it locked up in the trunk once i get there.

My concern is that i must keep a roof over my family's head and food on the table. My employer pays me well (at or above state and national averages for my job description) and they treat us well. Could I find employment elsewhere?...Yes...Is it possible to find employment at a higher salary?...less likely but possible...Could I find another job where i like my chain of command and they treat me well?...I don't know and I think I would be really hard pressed to find all three...let alone all three of the afore mentioned and one that does not have a weapons policy...It would be the proverbial needle in a hay stack.

...Long story short...and against the norm here...it would take a lot more than a 30.06 sign or a weapons policy for me to quit.

+1 I am in the same position...

[Sangiovese]

My employer already has a policy prohibiting weapons. I would rather risk going home without a job than not going home... so I carry anyway.

However, if they gave me effective notice (either verbally or by posting compliant 30.06 signage) then I would comply. I would also immediately start a job search. Fortunately, my background and skillset are in fairly high demand and I anticipate that it would be a very short search.

This would also be one of the very few instances in which I would not give two weeks notice with my resignation, as any day during that two weeks could be the one in a million day where I would need my weapon with me at work.

[HerbM]

A couple of weeks ago a fellow associate was trying to cut heavy hemp line with the heated rope cutter, which doesn't work very well, and then tried to use his utility knife to no avail. I was walking by and pulled out my small SOG Flash, and he kind of giggled that that puny little thing wasn't going to be much use - then it took only two strokes for me to cut the hemp - we did discuss the possibility that I might have gotten caught using the prohibited knife.

It's not the first, nor I expect the last, time I have used non Home Depot issued tools to do my job.

Hey, at least you didn't shoot the rope off.

[dac1842]

I am a firm believer in my right to carry. However I am not obsessed with it to the point I am willing to quit. You see I am almost 50. To young to retire and way to old to quit. I work for a railroad and have for over 20 years. Weapons at work have always been a no-no except for railroad police, of which I was one until 1993. sticking around 10 more years will allow me to retire and maintain a good retirement income ($60,000K+) So am I willing to throw all that away? Not a chance! I will have plenty of time to carry 24/7 when I am done. Unless of course the democrats get in office and really hose things up!

[mr.72]

I work for a company that is based in California and has California-type rules, which includes an immediate-termination threat if you carry any firearm on the premises and a legal 30.06 sign. They are the industry leader in this industry and I have been there for almost 12 years. The fact is that I am compensated at well above the current market value for a new employee in my field, so for me to find a job elsewhere would require a sizable pay cut.

The reality is that this is hopefully my last job in this field. I started my own business last year, and I also work in another field part-time. I think my startup business is likely to grow enough this year or early next year for me to transition to doing that full-time, at which time I can conveniently quit my regular day job without requiring me to find another one in the same field.

I would guess that most large tech companies with multi-geographic campuses even in different countries almost all have universal "no guns" policies, and likely valid 30.06 signage. For those of us in this type of field, I anticipate standing firm on the 30.06 thing will wind up costing 50% of our salary by having to change to a completely different field and get on the bottom of the ladder.

[RHZig]

My Sgt. would be really mad if I came to work without a gun.

He would either tell me to go home, or make me work the jail.

[boomerang]

I would guess that most large tech companies with multi-geographic campuses even in different countries almost all have universal "no guns" policies, and likely valid 30.06 signage. For those of us in this type of field, I anticipate standing firm on the 30.06 thing will wind up costing 50% of our salary by having to change to a completely different field and get on the bottom of the ladder.

Do you have any statistics? I would have guessed companies headquartered elsewhere would be more likely to have a generic no weapons policy and less likely to have valid 30.06 signs. If the policy doesn't meet the 30.06 requirements, it's legal to carry at work. They can end your employment if they catch you but Texas employment is at will so they can end your employment for millions of reasons. Anyhow concealed means concealed.

Everyone's situation is different. If you're grossly overpaid, maybe it's worth staying and thinking of the extra money as hazardous duty pay. My salary is pretty close to market rate for my education and experience so it wouldn't hurt my pay if I changed companies. I see plenty of jobs online and I get frequent emails from recruiters so I don't think it would take me very long to find a new job, and I might even get a raise if I jumped ship. But like I said, everyone's situation is different.

[SCone]

Like it or not, if your workplace has a no weapons policy, you CANNOT carry at work or on the property. Carrying on property could result in the loss of your job AND your license. And since it's a policy violation, NO UNEMPLOYMENT PAY.

PC §30.06.
TRESPASS BY HOLDER OF LICENSE TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUN.
(a) A license holder commits an offense if the license holder:
(1) carries a handgun under the authority of Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code, on property of another without effective consent; and
(2) received notice that:
(A) entry on the property by a license holder with a concealed handgun was forbidden; or
(B) remaining on the property with a concealed handgun was forbidden and failed to depart.
(b) For purposes of this section, a person receives notice if the owner of the property or someone with apparent authority to act for the owner provides notice to the person by oral or written communication.
(c) In this section:
(1) "Entry" has the meaning assigned by Section 30.05(b).
(2) "License holder" has the meaning assigned by Section 46.035(f).
(3) "Written communication" means:
(A) a card or other document on which is written language identical to the following: "Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by holder of license to carry a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (concealed handgun law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun"; or
(B) a sign posted on the property that:
(i) includes the language described by Paragraph (A) in both English and Spanish;
(ii) appears in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height; and
(iii) is displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public.
(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor.

If it's in the company policy, regardless of the signage, employees are bound to the policy. Posted 30.06 signs only apply to visitors, not employees (maybe even spouses??? not sure)

Take carefull notice to the wording of the law, "...provides notice to the person by oral or written communication". Whether a 30.06 sign is present or not, if you are told that guns are not allowed, you must leave. Doesn't matter if it's a business or residence. It's a Class A misdemeanor if you stay.

Be very cautious with this section of the law. Our tendency is to take a stand and defend our rights. To do that here could land you in jail and your CHL suspended.

[boomerang]

Good point. If the employee manual has wording identical to (A) then be very careful.

(3) "Written communication" means:
(A) a card or other document on which is written language identical to the following: "Pursuant to Section 30.06, Penal Code (trespass by holder of license to carry a concealed handgun), a person licensed under Subchapter H, Chapter 411, Government Code (concealed handgun law), may not enter this property with a concealed handgun"; or
(B) a sign posted on the property that:
(i) includes the language described by Paragraph (A) in both English and Spanish;
(ii) appears in contrasting colors with block letters at least one inch in height; and
(iii) is displayed in a conspicuous manner clearly visible to the public.

[Kalrog]

Like it or not, if your workplace has a no weapons policy, you CANNOT carry at work or on the property. Carrying on property could result in the loss of your job AND your license.

I agree that you can be terminated if you violate a policy like that. You are not correct on the prosecution portion though. Assuming that the wording in the manual is not identical to the 30.06 wording and you were not given verbal notice, then you have violated no law. If you are given verbal notice or the wording in the manual is 30.06 compliant, then you could be prosecuted. I know of absolutely no employee manual that has the legally required wording (someone else might though).

[mr.72]

My employee manual does not have that verbiage of a "30.06 sign". It has a list of so-called "common sense" safety restrictions, things that are forbidden at any time and would result in termination, and there are dozens of things listed like making physical threats, harassment, theft of company property, verbal abuse, and "possession of a firearm".

I guess I am more inclined to believe the "spirit of the law", which in this case is clear, my company has made a deliberate effort in writing to communicate their no-guns policy, whether it includes the 30.06 language or not. They have 30.06 signs at the lobby entrances (but not on the employee-only entrances). It is not worth it for me to risk getting fired over this, given my circumstances right now. Worse yet, I don't want to wind up in court testing the validity of the employee manual language as being sufficient notice that it makes it a misdemeanor for me to have come to work armed in order to try and retain my CHL. That's a costly legal battle and IMHO, a very, very weak case.

I'll let you guys know when there is a contract position open so someone else can come in here and defiantly push the rules :)