Georgia concealed carry employer policy

Legal & Second Amendment
1

Hello all, this is my first post and hope I am asking in the right forum.

I work for a company that’s main office is based in Canada, but work at the only stateside office which is here in Georgia, which has 10 employees. No Canadian employees work at the Georgia office. The Georgia employees work outdoors daily in various parts of the state, sometimes in very rural areas with larger amounts of wildlife (such as snakes, alligators, and boar), and sometimes in very urban areas with high amounts of traffic and more population. The Georgia employees also frequently work away from home for 5 days at a time, staying at hotels that are closer to our weekly worksites rather than driving 3+ hours to and from the office. We do not have company-owned vehicles, but rather the work trucks are rented from a fleet rental corporation. The company also does not own the building or property in which our office is held, it is leased from a private individual owner.

For the first 9-10 months of my employment here, carrying firearms with us to our work sites was never an issue. Those of us that carried our firearms to work with us were all legally permitted through the counties in which we lived, and have obtained the firearms through legal methods. Near the end of last year, our Canadian management swiftly changed position on allowing firearms at the workplace, and prohibited all possession of firearms at the office, in the rented work vehicles (they claimed it was illegal to have firearms in the rental vehicles, which is not true according to the rental company’s policies), or on our person while we are working outdoors in the field. It should be noted that no incident regarding firearms occurred during the aforementioned period of time. Following Georgia’s Safe Carry Protection Act of 2014, those of us who had originally been carrying our firearms to work with us still leave our firearms in our personally owned vehicles in the parking lot of the building that contains our offices.

Due to recent socio-political events and the overall mental climate of the communities in which we work, there are several employees who have expressed the desire to regain our ability to legally carry our firearms with us to our worksites, but do not wish to lose our jobs by breaking company policy. Aside from the current climate of society, the outdoor climate of Georgia summers has also provided an increase in harmful wildlife in which our firearms could be used to protect ourselves, and afford us the ability to safely complete our duties as employees, which leads me to my overall purpose of explaining the current situation at my workplace: Is there any legal standpoint or precedence in which we (permitted concealed carriers) would be allowed to regain our ability to carry our firearms while we are working outside of our office, without losing our jobs? I personally always have my firearm with me or in my vehicle, but I also have a very strong history with correct usage and safe handling of firearms throughout my childhood and military career, which not all of my fellow employees have to the same degree. However, all my fellow CCW permitted employees do practice safe handling and usage; we have all been to local ranges together at some point on our off days.

Thank you for reading this explanation and question, and I eagerly look forward to your responses.

Please help me find a way to take back my expression of my 2nd amendment rights.

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When I rent a vehicle for work purposes, I am considered (and my company through me) to be the temporary “owner,” at least in some jurisdictions. I learned that when I allowed a coworker to drive a rental car I had rented. He got pulled over for speeding in MD and the local officer told me he could have run us both in for auto theft. I suspect the same temporary ownership is at play for an office.

I’m not a lawyer. @MikeBKY - do you have any opinion on @TYLER33’s questions?

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Unfortunately, unless there is a contract or law that says otherwise, employers can implement and enforce rules on employees while they are on the employer’s premises and vehicles (owned, leased or rented) and while on employer business. Violation of those rules can lead to disciplinary action, including termination.

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This is strictly an accounting answer as you seem to be hoping that the fact that everything is rented/ leased would make some difference.

In 2018 U.S. GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principals) was changed to where whomever received the primary benefit of a leased anything was effectively an asset of the Company that was leasing it. So under the Government’s eyes the Canadian Company is responsible for it. As such they can make whatever rules they wish and since Georgia is a Right to Work state (except for federal exceptions) your only avenue would be to possibly collect pictures of the dangerous animals you run into in your daily routine and explain the dangers you face.

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I agree, a rental or a lease actually gives the lessor or renter specific property rights along with custody and control of the property.

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Is this the same for Illinois? If the state law is that they need to have proper sign with the pursuant 430 ILCS 66/65 gun and border 4x6?

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@TYLER33 Quietly and carefully conceal. Being careful NOT to break any federal or state laws… just your companies policy. I would rather be unemployed than a victim. This is not legal advice. It’s only what you originally requested… a response.

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9

I cannot give you a precise answer and cannot give legal advice with respect to IL law. But, IL in an employment at will state which means an employer can fire you for any reason or no reason at all just as you can quit at any time. If they have an employee policy prohibiting firearms, an employee can be disciplined for having a firearm.

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I want to thank everyone for there input both on a semi legal all the way to a simple response. I’m to be fully compliant locally and federally this is why I ask the questions I do. As for how the employer feels I may not care so much as if it is not a criminal action I am with the Texaseskimo on this as for I’d rather be unemployed than my 3 children growing up without a father. I appreciate that everyone took the time to add in their opinions on this issue I have. This is just one of the many reasons I joined the uscca and I can’t be anymore great full for the resources and people I have come to consider a great and priceless addition to family!

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