I was suspended from my job for having a gun.

T

Travalanche

Inactive
Hey, I live in rural Kansas and work nights at a grocery store. I've been there for over a year now and am a hard worker and my boss really appreciates me.

Two nights ago I was talking about guns with a truck driver that delivered the load and I showed him my gun that was in my truck in the parking lot before he left and then I went back to work with no problems. Fast forward two days and I get called to the office for the first time and I knew something was wrong. The truck driver apparently spilled the beans about me owning a gun to his superior and called up corporate for the company I work for.

I ended up sitting in a cramped office with two guys being told to describe the situation and write my statement/sign it. I put down roughly this...

*I came into work the other night, business as usual and when small talk about guns came up I decided to show mine to the guy while it was unloaded and was in the parking lot, then I went back to work.*


They made it sound like I was Adam Lanza and treated me like a complete felon. They keep asking me if I knew it was unloaded and that they refuse to believe it was unloaded regardless of what I said, they think I carried it around all night, wanted to search my vehicle/me, etc.

It really wasn't that big of a deal imo but what worries me is that I don't have a concealed carry and only carry it around due to living in the country so I hope I don't end up losing my job AND in jail!

The job part doesn't worry me that much because it only pays $8.30/hour 20 hours/week but I really don't want to end up screwing myself for the rest of my life over something like this.

What is most likely going to happen? I've already started looking for new jobs on the computer so my hopes aren't high.
 
First things first, what is the companys policy? If it says that firearms are not allowed on the premises, you might have some trouble. As for jail, I don't think you have anything to worry about, as law enforcement wasn't involved.

Of course, just my opinion, ymmv.
 
I don't know if you worked for a national chain. I also don't know if Corporations share information. Credit scores are collected by corporations, I expect there will be a time when the data on hiring, firing, medical, convictions will be collected and sold.

In that case, the statement you signed can and will be used against you. It is nice to second guess, but it would have been better not to have signed anything , but you probably expected to be fired if you did not sign, now it sounds, they would have fired you regardless, but they kept that from you till they got your signiture.

Also, I guess you learned that some things are best kept to yourself.

Just keep looking for a job. If you are hosed, there is nothing you can do about it now, except put time between that “firing for cause” and the next one.
 
  1. If you think it might be illegal, don't be posting on a public forum about it.
  2. For legal advice, talk to a lawyer, not the Internet.
  3. You probably don't need a permit to have a gun in your vehicle, but that varies from state to state.
  4. You didn't mention anything about police or a deputy, so I don't know where this jail talk is coming from.
Good luck to you on the job search.
 
I work for --, they are a pretty big company and yeah it's against company policy because they own the parking lot so it doesn't look good. At least I won't get arrested it seems.

-I had it in a small safe bolted down to my truck and would keep it in my console during driving.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I guess you never know these days, but I wouldn't worry about jail at all. I don't see where you broke any laws, just possibly company policy. FWIW I'm not sure what the law is like in your state but here in mine you can still have a gun in your car without a permit as long as it is unloaded and any ammo is in a separate part of the car (e.g. gun in glove box, ammo in trunk). And even if it was loaded that night they wouldn't have any way of proving it.

As for your job, you may be wise in going ahead and looking for a new one. Then again, you may be fine and they were just doing their due diligence. With all the mass shootings and publicity surrounding them lately a lot of companies are going to be extra cautious when it comes to anything involving a gun and one of their employees. They don't want to be the next entity accused of "not taking action" when there were "warning signs".
 
From your second post, it sounds less likely that you broke the law. Moving forward, make sure what you're doing is legal. (Kansas has legal license-free open carry, right? Opencarry.org suggests vehicle carry might be legal depending on local laws. Make sure your console carry is legal.)

There have been cases of employees who have defended themselves against violent attackers on the job with concealed handguns getting fired anyway despite the exigent circumstances; you had no reason whatsoever to show off your firearm while on the job. I don't know what else you expected on that front. Don't trust some random person you run into on the job to keep a secret from your employer.
 
Last edited:
Yeah, they can't arrest me over having the gun in my vehicle no more than they could for me forgetting my nametag. My boss did let me know that he takes my *offense* worse than an associate that calls off every other day and works half as fast as me so I think I'm canned lol...

No matter, I can only go up from here as $8.30 an hour part time is literally one step above homeless. Heck, I made more money when I was 16 working at Taco Bell a decade ago.

Thanks for the info everyone, I know I made a mistake and you can bet I'm never telling anyone I'm a gun owner in person again. ;)
 
Talking about being a gun owner is one thing and nothing to be shy about. But showing off a gun outside your home or range is generally not a good idea and to a stranger never.

Agree that whatever happens at your current job, keep looking for another. As a hiring manager I've talked with Human Resources both as a former employer and hiring and nobody in their right mind will respond to reference checks with anything other than that you worked there from one date to another. Anything else opens them up to liability and they have nothing to gain from any labor risk after you are gone. And most non-corporate employers do not check references anyway.

Do up a good resume and don't lie but no need to share anything detrimental either. If they ask, tell the truth in a matter of fact way. But on the resume just indicate you are looking for a better opportunity to use your skills and experience. Many interviewers don't care much why you left a minimum wage job. You may get knocked out of a few job opportunities but many won't care much. The smaller companies are going to care a lit more about attitude, accomplishments and ability than policy infractions.

Good luck. This is a good overall lesson about Op Sec. Just think in a disaster or if the state ratcheted up gun laws it could be a disgruntled neighbor that squeals on you for owning guns or some trumped up charge maybe to get a reward.
 
Check your state laws on the legality of having the gun stored in your vehicle. Some states have passed laws which treat a vehicle a a mobile extension of your home -- your employer cannot control whether you keep a gun in it, regardless of whether they own the lot on which you park it. Period. I do not know if Kansas is one of those states, I believe Oklahoma is and Indiana (with more loopholes for certain types of employers).

A -- around here fired a manager last year for shooting and killing an armed robber in the store, even though he likely saved the life of a hostage coworker in the process. Against corporate policy to have the gun in the store.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
So it seems you were legal having it in the car (even if against company policy) don't worry about legal problems. Believe me, if they wanted to call the cops on you, they would have done so while you were still sitting in the office signing that statement.

And from personal experience, I'll tell you. Do not sign any statements for anyone other than MAYBE the police themselves. Store security and managers are not cops, they have no authority to make you sign anything. If you break some serious company policy like that and they call you into the office and start talking about signing statements, they have already decided to fire you. Signing anything will not save your job, regardless what they tell you. You're only digging yourself into a deeper hole if they do decide to get the police involved.

Either way, your relationship with the boss there is pretty much tanked after something like this. So if they don't fire you, you may as well just quit yourself. Take this as an opportunity to find something better than a part-time, minimum-wage job.
And remember, concealed means concealed.
 
The company I work for ( after the Sandy Hook shooting ) Did a little change in Policy also. We had to put up No Guns allowed in bldg signs on all the doors. They tried to go with not in the parking lot also,but according to North Dakota law they do not have the right to do so. It is their parking lot,but they do not have the right to stop us from keeping our guns in our vehicles.

Kicker to this story-- We have a company that calls x amount of customers a week for survey's. If we score lower than a 8 out of 10 I have to call the customer and ask if there is anything we cold have done to make his experience with us better. One guy I called said service,parts,prices were all great,but he saw the sign on our door and said he will never ever step inside one of our locations again. Nothing I can do about his complaint,but I do agree with him on that point.
 
If you did not break any laws, you have nuttin' to worry about legally. As others have said, company policy may mean something different as far as moving up the corporate ladder @ --. Even if you did not break a formal company gun policy, you probably broke a policy about leaving your position, and doing personal business, while being clocked in. This is something, even most gun loving bosses dislike.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If you want more people to know about this, call some of the gun rights podcasters.
Guntalk.com comes to mind.
Maybe they will include your story on their radio shows.
They often do these kinds of stories and have a very large audience.
And then the word will spread and make the guys who fired you at -- realize their mistake.
We can start with letting them know our displeasure right now.

--
 
Well, IF he broke company policy then unfortunately for him the company is likely completely just and in the clear for firing him (which they haven't even done yet). I'm not sure what good would come of complaining to -- and trying to make a public stink about it. The guy made a mistake. Sucks if it ends up costing him his job but you sometimes just have to deal with the consequences of your mistakes.

I don't really see this as a "gun rights" issue at all, at least not at this point. I sort of liken this to the old "should I CC even though my company has a policy against it" debate. I don't really blame anyone for doing it. That said, be prepared to live with the consequences if you are caught. Tough for me to blame a company for reprimanding/firing someone for breaking company policy, even if I do not agree with said policy.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Don't be "that guy"....

Here are a few points...
For any job, know & understand all the employer's(company) rules, SOPs, code of conduct, standards, etc. If you have questions or problems, go to HR or your manager/supervisor.
Request or make copies of all your employment related documents, from your formal job application to your HR records to any forms you sign/reports you file.
Do not "show" co-workers, visitors, associates, etc your firearms/ammunition at work or on company property.
In 2013, many people are "scared" or "intimidated" by guns, ammunition, holsters, etc. As a gun owner, license holder or armed citizen you may say; "so what, I'm legal & I'm not a bad guy." This feeling is true but keep in mind that many people get real touchy about guns.
Learn to be a "quiet professional", if someone asks you about firearms or ammunition you can answer them or discuss it but don't pull out a gun to show around.

Clyde
 
This isn't really about pro or anti gun.Its about making good choices.

No comment on what is/was legal,but as long as it was locked up in the vehicle,nobody cared.

Showing it to the truck driver,you introduced a gun to the workplace.

I do not see any reason to get bent at --.Most employers would not tolerate that.

Live and learn.

I don't know anything about your employer,but the fact you have not been escorted out/fired immediately suggests to me your boss might like to keep you,and is dealing with corporate realities.

If he/she does keep you,grow up fast and don't let them down.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I don't know anything about your employer,but the fact you have not been escorted out/fired immediately suggests to me your boss might like to keep you,and is dealing with corporate realities.

If he/she does keep you,grow up fast and don't let them down.
Click to expand...

I agree. Your boss must think you’re a good worker, and chances are he or she is going to bat for you. Don’t let him or her down. Unfortunately, your boss may not be able to help you out. Live and learn. I believe there’s a reason for everything, and you can benefit from it. You may find a better paying full time job because of this. Don’t look at it as a door closing because it could be another door opening. You made a mistake, and you learned from it. That’s what life is all about.
 
Some clarification is needed here.
Travalanche said he showed the gun to the other guy at his truck.
Not in the building, not out in the parking lot, but in private, "in my truck."
To call that introducing a gun into the work place is quite a stretch.
And if his employer doesn't have an anti-gun policy, the worst that would have befallen the OP is being told not to do stuff like that again.
Being suspended, which sounds like a prelude to being fired, (unless it's with full pay), sounds like punishment for having, showing and talking about guns.
And if that's not anti-gun, it sure is a close second.
That's my take, anyhow.
You know, if it walks like a duck..............
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top