Self-defense Options at Work

We’ve got it pretty great at the USCCA headquarters - we’re encouraged to carry, we have an awesome security team (it’s part of their job, but they also have a full-time day job here), and we’re all encouraged to train. So I feel pretty safe at work.

But I know a lot of people who cannot carry at work. I’ve worked at places where I couldn’t carry in the past and I didn’t always feel safe. I had numerous things I kept in my car and at my desk that I would be able to use to defend myself.

What self-defense options (besides carrying) do you have at work?

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Run, hide or fight is the option here. I have things I can throw, or things I can squirt in the eyes if they get close enough. The other option is my knife. That’s the options if I can’t hide or get out. Other words, my exits are blocked.

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Run, hide, fight with improvised weapons. We’re not even supposed to have pocket knives where I work.

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Yep, I work at one of those places where I have to leave it in the truck locked up (me and at least 20 others that I know are regular visitors to the gun range).

For me, pepper spray, a tactical pen and a pocket knife come with me into the building everyday as part of my EDC and are on me (although, technically per policy I shouldn’t have any of them, but no one says anything about those items).

In my office I have an old putter that I use to practice my putts (have the little ball catch/return and everything). So that’s what I would for a distance defense.

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I am mostly working from home these days, so I am in complete agreement with the ‘home office firearms policy’ :slight_smile:

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Workplaces sure have changed. Early in my career, I had an office with a door. Now I’m nearer to the end of my career and we’re all in an open room with open desks that aren’t even ours. We have no personal items or a trash can. Crazy…

And, no weapons. The best I could do is a very small pocket knife and a pen. I have to walk by one of the drug selling hot spots (with many prior shooting occurring) both ways from the train station to the office. Being under attack IN the office is highly unlikely, but I don’t even have a stapler or tape dispenser that I could use. The new America.

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I’m not even allowed to have a pocket knife on me while at work. Yet we have a drawer full of knives in the breakroom. I took one of the steak knives from the drawer and keep it at my desk. If they say anything I’ll be like I got it from the supplies in the breakroom. Just haven’t taken it back yet.

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I worked in IT at a publicly traded company for about 5 years before I went back to entrepreneurship. They had a no firearms policy. It was the corporate office for a Payday loan and pawn shop corporation. Our stores had been robbed numerous times and finally the corporate office got some threats. They added a swipe card out front to get in and a second tier of swipe card inside for security.

At this point I realized that my decision to carry a few years earlier, against policy, was a good idea.

I carried a small Beretta Tomcat .32acp in my pocket. No printing, no bulkiness, no problem. No one ever knew. I was NOT going to be a victim. I figured the worst that could happen to me if they found out I had it I’d lose my job, big deal, there’s lots of jobs out there.

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Retired from US Army & Retired Funeral Director and Embalmer and sold my Funeral Home and enjoying the hell out of life
Sorry I tried to hit the subject and not any individual, sorry @Lacy

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I work in a victim zone.

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The last 2 companies I worked for didn’t have anything posted, so I had a Clintonesque “Don’t Ask Don’t Tell” mentality.

I have always thought that if, by some, chance I healed enough to ever be able to work again. I would start a business that required as a condition of employment for everyone to have a CC permit.

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Company I work for did not have a weapons policy until a couple of years ago. You could see many people had knife clips on their pockets. Then they went full monty -no firearms, no knives, they have a right to ask whats in your pocket. They will graciously not ask about whats in your car (also I believe the State Law prohibits that). The building and parking lot are victim zones, declared in the employee handbook.

At the company that I own. I tell all employees whether they have a LTC or not that they can, and I encourage them to carry on company property. Of course when they leave work, private property, they have to abide by Texas law and they do.

My ops manager wears an open carry side arm at work everyday. When we go to lunch he un-holsters.

A little note: I never felt more safe in my life than the week I spend every year at Gunsite. Everyone, even the office staff is wearing open carry.

I just realized something else, I brought this OP way off topic.

So in answer to the OP, I’d carry a Leatherman, Small Tactical Flashlight (They let me have that on a plane btw), a roll of quarters. At my own business, which is mostly outside. I have access to rocks, sticks, chainsaws, weed whackers, machete, aerosol cans of wasp spray, tannerite, just kidding on that one.

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I was reading your post, @Fizbin, and was like what does he do that he has tannerite?? And then I kept reading :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I rarely have to venture into the office. Our company has a written, but not posted, anti-guns policy. I have secreted a cased gun in my briefcase when I have had to go to the office. I’m willing to sacrifice my job for my life.

I do everything in my power to avoid the office.

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Tactical pen, 3.5" pocket knife, mace, and a tactical flashlight with strobe effect. There are occasions where I’m asked to come in nights/weekends to unoccupied buildings with a history of break-ins. In those instances I always have my cc with me.