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Wish Me Luck

6K views 79 replies 58 participants last post by  Ben Hennessy 
#1 ·
i got made at work today. as i've said in other posts in the past, i work in a warehouse, where most of the guys i work with also carry, or are at least sympathetic to carrying. most of the cubicle zombies, i'm told, are not so sympathetic. as such, i was warned not to mention that i carry a gun, own a gun, or talk about guns in their presence, unless it was in reference to hunting. i've followed my boss's advice, and steered clear of any uncomfortable situations.

today, one of the cube zombies came downstairs into the warehouse to ask about an order. before she began, i reminded her about her safety glasses; she complied, but was irritated. she was concerned about an order getting shipped, and was intent on getting it done. i told her that i never received the order she mentioned. she then requested, rudely, that i pack the order anyway, and that she'd clear it with my foreman. i replied that i can only pack jobs that i had slips for, and that neither my foreman, production supervisor, or plant manager had given me any such slip, nor was i given a verbal request for any. if i did pack the order, i would be the one responsible for it in case it was done incorrectly, or was lost in shipping, or if anything else went wrong. as such, i couldn't do it. she gave me an evil once over, and yelled "FINE!" before stomping off, and throwing her glasses across the plant floor.

2 hours later, the plant manager called me into his office. he's very easygoing, fair, and likes his employees. he first asked how the shift was going, how much we got done, and how many more jobs did i think would be done by 6pm. we chatted for a bit more, then he asked me to sit. he closed the door, then asked me if he could ask me a question. i said "sure". he asked me if everything was alright with me, if i was okay, and about me in general, which was a little confusing. i told him everything was great, actually. i thought maybe the cube zombie had complained about my "attitude," which she's known for. he then, very hesitantly, asked me "umm, are you.....carrying.....a gun?"

oh, crap.

i admitted that i was. i saw no point in lying to him. he's never lied to me about anything, and i felt uncomfortable lying to him. he asked me why i felt it was necessary to do so. i explained that i live in a rough part of town, and i wait for the bus at 6am, then transfer downtown for another bus at 6:35. my job is located in the warehouse/meth head district. at that time of day, the only people on the street are people on their way to work, and those up to no good. i went on to say that i don't make it a habit of showing off my gun, nor do i talk about it. he sat quietly for a moment, then said that our company policy forbids carrying of illegal weapons or contraband on the property. i then mentioned that i do have a permit, so technically, i wasn't carrying illegally. he looked rather surprised, and then asked me "well, how long have you been bringing a gun to work, then? i won't mention it to the owner, i just would like to know." i only said "for awhile, now." he then said that someone saw the gun, and became very upset and anxious about it (i can only guess who), especially with what just happened in omaha, yadda yadda yadda.

i asked him plainly what was going to happen to me as a result. he said that if were him that saw it, he would have had the same talk with me, just to clarify things, and left it at that. "unfortunately, you know that she went and also informed so-and-so after telling me. i got a call, and we're having a meeting about the situation on monday morning. you're status is unchanged until then, but i can't say much more than that." i told him i understood, which i do, really. i went back down to the floor. my foreman asked me what was wrong; i told him the cube zombie made me. his face dropped, which isn't reassuring. "well, how are you carrying?" i showed him, i was carrying IWB, with an extra long and thick flannel shirt over it. i wasn't printing, so i the only thing i can think of is that she must have seen it on another occasion, and decided to be spiteful, in retaliation for not doing what she wanted, when she wanted.

i wonder how she owuld have reacted if she knew i was also pocket carrying a .380?

i might be out of a job come monday, right in time for x-mas. wish me luck, guys, in keeping my job, or finding a new one fast.
 
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#2 ·
Good luck Jahwarrior. Is there a company policy against carrying at work? You have a permit, and although you were unknowingly exposed, you still are allowed by law to carry in your state. Stand proud, and I hope all goes well for you.
 
#3 ·
the policy forbids the carrying of "illegal" weapons. i carry a spyderco chinook II and karambit, which i use instead of those cheap box cutters we're supplied. the chinook would get me in trouble faster than a gun would, in my town. it's the "illegal" part of the policy that gets me. i have my LTCF, so i'm legal. on paper, i'm not violating company policy. but you know how these thing go....
 
#4 ·
'Tis the season to be fired! My wife just got the boot last week - she's 6 months pregnant with our second child, and it was right before her birthday... not to mention Christmas.:ahhhhh:

Anyways I hope you don't get fired. If company policy only forbids illegal weapons/contraband(and a gun isn't listed as such), and not legally carried firearms, I don't see how they can get rid of you, but if they want to they'll think of something. If they do let you go I bet it will be interesting to see how they do it considering they know you'll very likely be armed when they go to do it. And we all know how crazy and unpredictable a man with a gun is!:sheep:

Ps. I hate people like that chick you mentioned.
 
#5 ·
I see you mentioned being open about your carry with fellow carrying and non-carrying employees. THAT was your mistake. She never MADE your weapon, the gossip did. Now she sank your battleship...

My policy is noone knows jack.
 
#9 ·
that did cross my mind. when i first started there, i had no idea that most of the guys also carried, and after awhile i let on that i did as well. we don't go on and on about guns and such; once in awhile, some of us make plans to go to the local outdoor range, or talk about hunting, but never, EVER in front of cube zombies. in our minds, we're all in it together. my co workers are some of the best bunch of guys i've ever worked with.
 
#6 ·
Sorry to hear. Good luck with everything. Are there any major CCW/pro 2a groups you could talk to? I hear that thrown out a lot when issues like this come up in VA.
 
#11 ·
Good luck, bro.
 
#12 ·
Good luck, and win one for the good guys. Seems in situations like this it depends on who you get. I hope for your sake, and the sake of everyone ahead of you, that you get someone with a lick of common sense.
 
#14 ·
It appears you were not violating the law or your company policy. Also, remember that some of your supervisors were aware of your carry (and other employees carry) and did not have any issues with it.

As such, I think it would be difficult to fire you. If they try, give your state's department of labor a call and see what they say. Remember there are employment laws that prevent employers from treating you unfairly.

I would guess they are meeting to discuss the general issue of firearms in the company and possible changes to the policy.
 
#15 ·
Wow, I think you handled everything as well as you could have and it sounds like you enjoy your job. So keep playing it smart so you can keep it.
I think the wording in company policy will save you from being fired. It says illegal weapons... and you already pointed out that your legal. Worst case is they change policy because of your case and the zombies will know you as the nut that brought a gun to work. The only fix for that is to be extra nice and cool headed at work. I think you definatly will be watched closely and maybe even on the naughty list for awhile.

Oh yeah... Good luck, and keep us updated.
 
#17 ·
If the written company policy forbids any weapons, you're screwed. If it's just illegal weapons that are banned, like your supervisor said, you should be fine. The only real problem is, do the suits that will be discussing this no the difference between legal and illegal? They may change the policy to disallow any weapons, and if they do, you should stop carrying to keep your job.

Most states are "at-will" employment states, which means your boss can fire you at any time for any reason and there's nothing you can do about it. You should definitely check your state laws on this one. Unless you're fired because of discrimination or whistle-blowing or another federally protected status, there is nothing you can do if fired. Your boss could fire you because he doesn't like the color of your shirt or the football team you like. Most employers won't fire you for frivolous reasons, but they can.

I know this because this year I swore at an ex-boss that vindictively gave be the lowest assessment possible because I moved to a new job. I had a very stressfull job to begin with, and the cube-politics made it worse. For two years before I switched jobs, I was having stress related illnesses, such as stomach pain and headaches. So I switched to a job with a better department. I was suspended with pay and they made me see a therapist to prove I wasn't a threat to anyone. Then they were going to put an "on-notice" document in my personal file. I didn't like these options so I contacted a lawyer. I had no recourse if they fired me. But I had worked over 2000 hours of unpaid overtime over the past 2-3 years, so that was the only option I had if I wanted to sue.

The therapist they sent me to knew I wasn't a threat to anyone and sympathized with me. She sent my company a letter stating I wasn't a threat, but they were literally killing me with the stress. For 6 months, she kept me out of work by filling out short term disability forms while my lawyer was working on my overtime case. My company had to pay me for 6 months while I got to enjoy life. Then by the time my short term disability ran out, my lawyer had reached a settlement, where I was allowed to separate from the company and got paid 2 years salary and I'm allowed to draw unemployment for 6 months. And the day the company cut my check, my ex-manager resigned.

I'm still drawing those unemployment checks, the full amount for NY, they don't run out until mid-February. It will officially be a full year vacation on January 15th. I've had the time and the money to do things I've always wanted to do. Too bad I'll have to go back to work in a month.

But seriously, this weekend read up on your state employment laws. I was lucky that I had so much unpaid OT. If I hadn't, I would have had to go back to work while being "on-notice" and I would have been laid off in March with the guys they laid off then.
 
#18 · (Edited)
Good luck and remember to keep your cool no matter what happens. It won't do you any good otherwise. What happens depends on who's above your boss and how big the company is. If they do let you stay...you're probably going to want to start going with some deeper concealment options. You know everyone is going to be watching closer.:rolleyes:

I got "made" where I work I guess going on about 2 years ago now (wow - been there a long time I guess). There was a huge stink about it because ONE person decided to make it a big deal. Practically everyone had a suspicion that I carried (and some knew already anyway -they carried too:image035:), but no one really cared. At any rate, they changed the company policy and told me to leave it in my car(option1) or quit(option2). The person that made a mountain out of a mole hill is no longer at our company and I chose option 3. It's pretty clear at this point that everyone suspects I still carry(including management), but I don't think they care as much as I've been there long enough and they know I'm not one of those "going postal" types. It appears they only made the policy change to appease the winer.
 
#19 ·
Sounds as if you got involved in a power struggle with someone who through shop gossip knew that you carry and who then used this to hurt you. The lessons are simple:

1. NEVER make it known to ANYONE that you do carry.
2. Learn to avoid petty power struggles at work.

I do hope this turns out well for you.
 
#20 ·
+1 with Pro2A I am sorry to hear about this situation - pls keep us posted. The default thinking with many people is that guns are evil and anyone who carries is paranoid and potentially dangerous. Once word gets out, eventually it gets around. People in the office find out so much anyway, just takes a little time. The gossip is pathetic but its in every workplace.
As was said, keep a cool head knowing you weren't breaking any laws, etc. Maybe turn the spotlight on how shocked/demeaned you were by her tantrum (throwing safety glasses, etc).. after she expected you to drop everything and obey her wishes (and NOT follow protocol). If management wants you to take direction from her then lets be clear about it - someone needs to tell you. But we all knwo that isn't the case. Good luck with this - dont' stress out - it will work out ok in the long run.
 
#21 ·
PLay it cool and hope to keep your job. If you do, then later I would suggest repaying the Zombie by informing on her temper tantrum, throwing the glasses, and ordering you to do something your weren't authorized to do.

However, while it's unlikely, there is a small chance the Zombie was not responsible. It's possible the "talk" was on the agenda for other reasons. As I said unlikely, but I would feel a little bad getting someone in trouble if they weren't responsible, even a Zombie.
 
#22 ·
Always a fine line in life. One, I want to protect myself, so I take that on.
Two, I need the money as I have to live, and their policy states no weapons. I had a rear kisser question me the other day if I was wearing a knife on my belt. Nope, my Leatherman, but, still, those folks exist.
Me, their policy wins and trumps my desire to do as I wish, so my gun stays in my truck on company grounds.
Luck, but if I were a betting man...
 
#23 ·
I wish you the best of luck and hope that logical thought trumps stupidity at your job. The truly sad part is that if this person should have an issue with you, she felt so small that he had to drag other issues into the picture that have no bearing on the situation of getting your work done, which didnt seem to be an issue either.
 
#24 ·
Good luck....it's such a shame that those of us that are willing AND capable of defending our lives and the lives of others must live in a world of sheep...and play by their ignorant rules...and even let our lives be ruined by their ignorance.

Sheep...when are they ever gonna learn?
 
#27 ·
Best of luck. Keep a stiff upper, a closed lower, and an open top IWB that's tuckable.

Safe Regards
 
#28 ·
jahwarrior72,

I haven't read the other replies just your OP. I COMPLETELY understand your situation! A few months ago I had almost the identical thing happen to me. Hang in there bro, my prayers are with you as I still remember the frustrating floods of thoughts I had to deal with over my situation. This is a growing scenario as more of us carry and employers are forced to come to some kind of terms with the fact that we legally carry.

My company found their solution was to ban not just guns but even a pocket knife if it wasn't a tool issued by the company! :sheep:

My hope is that you will get no worse than a warning. :blackeye:

Thumper
 
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