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Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:08 am
by texaszed4mc
I need everyone's thoughts on this? To me this says I CAN carry at work as long as it is ALWAYS concealed. I work for TxDOT and this is directly from the HR Manual:

Weapons
Employees will not carry or keep firearms or any other weapons on department property, except as allowed below, while on duty or while representing the department. Failure to comply with this policy will subject that individual to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

It is not a violation for employees who lawfully possess firearms to transport and store firearms in a locked, privately owned motor vehicle while parked in a parking lot, garage, or other employee parking area provided by the department.

It is not a violation for employees or visitors to carry concealed handguns on department property if they are licensed in accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter H. Employees and visitors must abide by all applicable state and federal laws, including that:

the handgun is kept concealed at all times, except to act in a life-threatening situation
the license is current and valid, and
handguns must not be carried where prohibited by any state or federal law, which specifically includes Texas Penal Code, Chapter 46. This statute prohibits concealed handguns at any meeting of a government entity, among other prohibited locations. Any violation of any law concerning concealed handguns (such as a handgun in plain sight, or any other violation) will be referred to law enforcement authorities.

Employees who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun and who choose to carry a handgun while on department property are subject to immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination, if their handgun becomes visible, unless acting in response to a life-threatening event. In such a case, an automatic investigation will be triggered to review the employee's handling of the situation.

Employees must not provoke or challenge anyone displaying or recklessly carrying a handgun, but must report the incident to building security or law enforcement personnel when and where it is safe to do so.

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:10 am
by RPBrown
Yep, carry away if you have your CHL

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 11:13 am
by RX8er
Wow, I'm impressed that TXDOT came up with that policy. Kudos to them.

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 1:38 pm
by RJGold
texaszed4mc wrote:I need everyone's thoughts on this? To me this says I CAN carry at work as long as it is ALWAYS concealed. I work for TxDOT and this is directly from the HR Manual:

Weapons
Employees will not carry or keep firearms or any other weapons on department property, except as allowed below, while on duty or while representing the department. Failure to comply with this policy will subject that individual to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

It is not a violation for employees who lawfully possess firearms to transport and store firearms in a locked, privately owned motor vehicle while parked in a parking lot, garage, or other employee parking area provided by the department.

It is not a violation for employees or visitors to carry concealed handguns on department property if they are licensed in accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter H. Employees and visitors must abide by all applicable state and federal laws, including that:

the handgun is kept concealed at all times, except to act in a life-threatening situation
the license is current and valid, and
handguns must not be carried where prohibited by any state or federal law, which specifically includes Texas Penal Code, Chapter 46. This statute prohibits concealed handguns at any meeting of a government entity, among other prohibited locations. Any violation of any law concerning concealed handguns (such as a handgun in plain sight, or any other violation) will be referred to law enforcement authorities.

Employees who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun and who choose to carry a handgun while on department property are subject to immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination, if their handgun becomes visible, unless acting in response to a life-threatening event. In such a case, an automatic investigation will be triggered to review the employee's handling of the situation.

Employees must not provoke or challenge anyone displaying or recklessly carrying a handgun, but must report the incident to building security or law enforcement personnel when and where it is safe to do so.
So do normal meetings (Weekly Staff Meeting, Project Status Meetings, etc) at TXDOT fall under the "meeting of any government entity"? If so, they would have to post with 30.06 to keep you from carrying in them.

Kudos to TXDOT for adopting this policy. It's the first one I've seen that allows for licensed carry by addressing it full on. Most companies will directly address it in their policy if they want to forbid it but remain silent if they want to allow it.

Thanks for posting this.
:txflag:

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 7:52 pm
by cw3van
RJGold wrote:
texaszed4mc wrote:I need everyone's thoughts on this? To me this says I CAN carry at work as long as it is ALWAYS concealed. I work for TxDOT and this is directly from the HR Manual:

Weapons
Employees will not carry or keep firearms or any other weapons on department property, except as allowed below, while on duty or while representing the department. Failure to comply with this policy will subject that individual to disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

It is not a violation for employees who lawfully possess firearms to transport and store firearms in a locked, privately owned motor vehicle while parked in a parking lot, garage, or other employee parking area provided by the department.

It is not a violation for employees or visitors to carry concealed handguns on department property if they are licensed in accordance with Texas Government Code, Chapter 411, Subchapter H. Employees and visitors must abide by all applicable state and federal laws, including that:

the handgun is kept concealed at all times, except to act in a life-threatening situation
the license is current and valid, and
handguns must not be carried where prohibited by any state or federal law, which specifically includes Texas Penal Code, Chapter 46. This statute prohibits concealed handguns at any meeting of a government entity, among other prohibited locations. Any violation of any law concerning concealed handguns (such as a handgun in plain sight, or any other violation) will be referred to law enforcement authorities.

Employees who are licensed to carry a concealed handgun and who choose to carry a handgun while on department property are subject to immediate disciplinary action, up to and including termination, if their handgun becomes visible, unless acting in response to a life-threatening event. In such a case, an automatic investigation will be triggered to review the employee's handling of the situation.

Employees must not provoke or challenge anyone displaying or recklessly carrying a handgun, but must report the incident to building security or law enforcement personnel when and where it is safe to do so.
So do normal meetings (Weekly Staff Meeting, Project Status Meetings, etc) at TXDOT fall under the "meeting of any government entity"? If so, they would have to post with 30.06 to keep you from carrying in them.

Kudos to TXDOT for adopting this policy. It's the first one I've seen that allows for licensed carry by addressing it full on. Most companies will directly address it in their policy if they want to forbid it but remain silent if they want to allow it.

Thanks for posting this.
:txflag:
:iagree: Have never seen a policy like this but wish more companies would use it. As others have said enjoy carry away if you have a CHL.

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 8:16 pm
by C-dub
It might have been better if they'd have used "intentional failure to conceal" instead of just "if their handgun becomes visible." And then there's the do not confront thing. Apparently, they will have a policy like CVS where if they do not capitulate to bad people doing bad things they will be fired.

Overall, it is a good policy and MUCH better than the one my employer has.

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:02 pm
by gthaustex
That is a much better policy than many of us have. You are good to go with a CHL. Just keep it under wraps...

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:05 pm
by Bugler
gthaustex wrote:That is a much better policy than many of us have. You are good to go with a CHL. Just keep it under wraps...
+1

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Fri Mar 08, 2013 10:11 pm
by AtkRWC
I'm lucky. My boss and owner of the company is a Gunsmith and FFL on the side. You guys can guess our company policy about CHLs on company property!

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 2:58 am
by TexasGal
Awesome! Way to go TxDot! This goes a long way to making me less grumpy when I hit a pot hole that's been there for several months. :biggrinjester:

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Sat Mar 09, 2013 8:49 am
by Jumping Frog
AtkRWC wrote:I'm lucky. My boss and owner of the company is a Gunsmith and FFL on the side. You guys can guess our company policy about CHLs on company property!
Mr. Cotton's company policy is the best I've seen. Having a CHL is a job requirement. :txflag:

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Sun Mar 10, 2013 2:52 pm
by Alameda311
Yes you can carry, I work out of the 09 district, don't do what we did, provide any info to your office, if you have a vaild CHL just start carry your weapon. Its no one business that you carry.

Its going on 3 months that I have requested my copy of my CHL back, someone in our area sent an e-mail out that requested a copy for your personal file, which is bull????

Not sure if your in the field or not, I am, and have advised Troopers in our area of the changes to our policy.

Hope your district is better than ours!!

Re: Work Carry???

Posted: Tue Mar 12, 2013 9:25 pm
by texaszed4mc
District 01 TP&D but I still have to go out in the field.