I would be like f-off. If you are concealed, he should not know. I certainly wouldn’t say anything. I have had a few instances with carrying or not carrying, being asked whether or not I was carrying, as it was known I was a firearm owner. I was like, if you need to ask, what’s the problem? I gently stated no and that was the end of it.
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I wish more employers would not only allow, but ensure it gets posted in their policies and shared early and up front. To me, an prospective employee or new employee should not have to worry and not be uninformed.
Still, I can appreciate the value of holding a job, and obtaining good performance reviews. I take the stance of being careful, using discretion and treading very carefully. Perhaps taking slow and careful checking on their policies first, and consider if you yourself prefer certain privacies a well.
If they hear you ask, then pretty much - “that cat is out of the hat” or " that ship has sailed".
Heard of too many good people getting into hot water in not so friendly environments over what I think should be our right.
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I see two questions here. One do I have a legal obligation to tell my employer and two do I have a moral obligation to tell my employer? The simple answer is if you are legally able to carry your gun without telling your employer, it is legal for you to carry your gun without telling your employer as far as morally goes. I can’t advise you what to do there.
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Hello and welcome @Orion
I live up on the NW end. Unless it states in the employee manual/contract or posted on the premises I wouldn’t say a word and keep going about you daily routine.
Keep it concealed.
I’m not a lawyer and this is not legal advice
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@Orion Welcome to the community, read all company policies if there is any wording regarding firearms and carrying. Be the gray man, no one needs to know anything, just don’t print (dead giveaway). Don’t know what type of work you’ll be doing at your workplace, but is it some risky type of job? Why would it be necessary to carry. Or is your employment in a bad side of town?
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I believe our 2A provides the answer. I will try not to be demeaning or harsh, but why do you carry? One never knows when one will know he/she needs a firearm. I have been lucky in my incidents abroad where just the threat/idea of a knife - where firearns were illegal - was enough to end the encounter.
Just like poker, never show your cards. I have also had a few instances where I was not carrying in the USA. While on vacation and not being able to legally carry a firearm, carrying a knive{s}, has been very effective once he/they know intense pain and injuries will potentially be the result.
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If they had money and you did not, then they certainly would be sued under a claim that they negligently failed to supervise employees who worked for them in their business. They would have to spend time and money defending themselves even if they were ultimately not found liable. More likely they would agree to pay a settlement rather than go to trial.
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Do we know of any cases where that has happened?
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Plaintiffs’ lawyers always look for the deepest pockets with potential for liability. That’s how PI cases work.
But, hey. If you want to test it out, then carry at your job site without telling your boss. And, say “I was only trying to defend myself in a dangerous work environment” as you are shown the door. Maybe you can find an employment lawyer who can make a case for wrongful discharge.
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Welcome
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I have carried at the job site without telling my boss/anyone. Multiple companies. I had no issue with that. It of course never came up.
Yes, of course losing your job is a risk. And if I were to lose my job because I faced an imminent deadly threat and utilized (even if not firing) my gun to save myself from that threat, I would happily have traded my job for that.
But I didn’t ask if a person who carries without permission from their employer might get fired.
I asked, do we know of any examples of a person legally carrying of their own accord for self defense, resulting in liability of behalf of the employer. Do you know of any cases where the employer was liable in this situation?
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I can’t carry at work, corporate BS. I park in the morning, lock my gun in the safe inside my truck, earn my paycheck, retrieve my pistol in my truck and drive home.
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If you can carry somewhere, I’d recommend not telling anyone you’re carrying. That’s the whole point of concealed carry, no one knows. Of course, if you’re between like-minded friends, that’s a different story.
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Make sure you know your state’s law on parking lot storage. In some states employers are enjoined by law from prohibiting firearm storage in the parking lots. In other states, without such a law, forbidding firearms anywhere on the property is considered legitimate company policy, and violation could subject you to employer discipline for violating the policy.
(I used to walk only an extra block from the grocery store lot next to the company parking garage to get to the building.)
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The good thing is that we can park street side, that’s only 10 feet away from the parking lot 
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I’ve not handled any such cases where that issue is presented directly, but I’ve not done any legal research into case law in this area. However, if insurance companies are writing boilerplate language into business policies that restrict firearms coverage for businesses, they must have some claims history of situations where an employee brings a gun into the workplace.
I’d view it as “If you don’t trust me to have that sort of important conversation with me, I don’t trust you to work in my place of business and make sound decisions. Work someplace else” I’d also not want to risk the potential for liability for an employee with a gun doing something dumb in my workplace, and the employee has already shown how dumb they are by not talking with me about have a gun on their person in my workplace. That employee would be history in my world.
I think you’re hanging out there if you carry in your workplace and don’t talk first with your boss. I’ve hired and employed lots of people in my day, and if I ever found out that one brought a gun into the workplace without my permission, I’d fire them on the spot. Then, good luck finding another job, especially a professional job, with that on your record.
An employer’s workplace is that employer’s private property on which the employer can dictate whatever rules they want and if employees don’t like those rules, they can work somewhere else. Carrying a firearm at your employer’s workplace is not a protected class for which there would be ANY legal employment protection. That is, a court would not award you, say, discrimination damages for being terminated.
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If the employer does not have rules against carry, then they presumeably are not against it. Why would they not write that into their rules?
As to insurance issues, there may or may not be a claims history. I have not looked into that, and apparently you have not either. So make a broad statement about there obviously must be is not a valid argument.
In many states, you can’t be fired for no cause. So an employer firing an employee for carrying a firearm when there is no law nor workplace rule against it, would be facing a lawsuit.
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Or, one could equally assert that they employer was against it. Lots of employers don’t have formal rule books or employee manuals, and those things don’t spell out rules and regs for every eventuality. Only government does those things.
An employee who brings a firearm into the workplace absolutely exposes the employer to liability. That’s why the insurance carriers I’ve dealt with won’t cover the risk without a special rider. An employee who would expose me – their employer – to such liability without first talking to me isn’t worth keeping around in my opinion. I’d cite poor judgment if you’re looking for ‘cause’.
However, in all of the states where I’ve worked or done business, employment is “at will” which means that the employer can terminate employees for cause or no cause, so long as the reason is not an illegal reason, like termination of a protected class (age, sex, race, national origin discrimination) cooked into statutes. The big exception to that is government workers or unions where employees assert a “right” to work. Do you know what rules apply to your workplace?
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If the employer does not make it clear whether or not carrying personal defensive tools is against his/her policy, that is another issue entirely. In places I have worked like that, the employer did raise the issue of firearms and knives.
As to the second issue you raised, I would not be working there to begin with or find another job as soon as possible - firearm policy would not be the “cause”.
My “company” was state government and there is written policy on knives, firearms and other personal defense tools. I am now retired, so I don’t have to worry about those any longer. I was not allowed to carry nor keep a firearm in my vehicle. Knives were required to have blades 3" or shorter. Pepper spray, and such, and electronic devices, such as stun guns, were also not allowed.
I did follow the workplace rules. We also had guards. They would also regularly patrol the workplace, though after the lockdowns ended, they rarely patrolled the workplace, but still guarded the entrances, an one was also at the check-in desk.
One guard was a former LEO. After he learned that I was a firearm owner and an NRA certified trainer, he would ask me quetions about firearm laws, and other firearm-related issues. It was shocking how little he knew about firearm laws and firearms. He was also completely unaware of the workplace rules on knives and firearms. He was surprised that we were not allowed to carry nor even keep a firearm in our vehicle. He at least understood the self-defense issues involved in not being able to carry.
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Ex cops are not lawyers trained in spotting or dealing with matters of civil liability or employment law.
Ex cops working as guards are not lawyers trained or educated in civil liability or employment laws. Relying on them for carry advice in workplace is foolish.