Concealed Carry in the Workplace

[Headshrinker]

I have a question about carrying at work that I haven't been able to come up with a satisfactory answer yet. I work for a large Indianapolis Hospital and have wondered if there is any legal reason why I shouldn't carry at work. If it's against the law, then that's all I need to know, but my attitude is the only time I will probably ever need a gun will be the one time I'm not carrying it for some reason. I'm quite sure if I went and asked someone they would probably say no without having any idea what they were talking about, but I've search the hospital employee handbook and don't see anything that prohibits it. I have also read Indiana State Code and don't see anything there that would prohibit me carrying in the hospital. In Indiana it seems that the only places you can't carry are schools, airport secure areas, courthouses and riverboat casinos. obviously, I'm not going to be a bonehead. If I am carrying, the only person that is going to know about it is me, unless, God forbid, some nutcase were to try and go on a shooting spree in the hospital. Anybody out there know about CC law in Indiana regarding this. I would greatly appreciate any knowledge on this and even if someone just has an opinion.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[pcon]

Check out Handgunlaw.us. As long as it's legal and not against your work policies...why not carry?

[JHoff]

It will depend upon which hospital. A good friend of mine worked at St. Francis for a few years. It was against policy for her to carry. She scoured through their HR policy and what not to find this. I'm not saying she did, or didn't, but it was against the rules. That narrows the field for you, I'm sure. Indianapolis only has a handful of large hospitals.

[TN_Mike]

If it isn't against the law, and the company doesn't have a policy against it, then I would carry.

And if there isn't anything in the employee handbook telling you that you can't carry, don't go asking HR if it's OK. That is the quickest way to get it added to the handbook.

[KenInColo]

If it isn't against the law, and the company doesn't have a policy against it, then I would carry.

And if there isn't anything in the employee handbook telling you that you can't carry, don't go asking HR if it's OK. That is the quickest way to get it added to the handbook.

+1

Probably the most dangerous places in the country are parking lots. If you have to come off shift at 0 dark 30 then they're even more dangerous. If it's as you described, I say:

"Carry, keep it concealed and keep your mouth shut."

[Paymeister]

When they give you the employee handbook and you keep working there, you are agreeing to abide by the rules. One rule may be to be unarmed. Another rule may be "anyone possessing a weapon on site will be terminated". In the second case, you are abiding by the rules if you agree you'll be termed at that point (and don't make a fuss if you are).

Company policy isn't a 'legal' thing, and my obligation to a corporation ain't quite what it is to the shopkeeper behind the counter who expresses his wishes (while a corp is legally a 'person', such a concept is never mentioned in Scripture). Your call.

My own decision is to not carry at work: the risk to my family of me losing my job far outweighs the bad guy risk. Such an argument sits well with some, and poorly with others.

[gwlammers]

I carry everywhere that doesn't require me to go through a metal detector. I don't plan on presenting my weapon unless I need to save my life. If I break a rule, at least I will be alive to face the consequences.

[MadMac]

My own decision is to not carry at work: the risk to my family of me losing my job far outweighs the bad guy risk. Such an argument sits well with some, and poorly with others.

+1 This is my current position as well. I carry to reduce my risk. Carrying at my day job has a larger risk profile of losing a great income that my family relies on. You make your decisions and live with the consequences.

[Headshrinker]

Thanks for all the advise. It's a tough call. Obviously, I have no interest in getting fired, but I also have no interest in getting dead either. Odds are, I may never find myself in a situation, but there's always that, "what if". I'm sure those folks at Virginia Tech never dreamed in a million years that some nutcase would walk in and start shooting the place up or the folks in the mall in Omaha that the guy just walked in and started shooting. If I ever found myself in a situation like that, I think I'd really wish I were carrying.

[tns0038]

That’s a hard call, and only you can make that decision.

If you should get fired, you’ll have a hard time, finding another job because wherever you apply will check your past history and find out why you left your previous position.

Depending on what type of work you do, if you have to move around, pick up things, or assist patients, your pistol may be exposed. So you may want to think about getting a pocket pistol.

[BradyM77]

If you've scoured the law books, scoured the rules for your hospital and there's nothing that says you can't, then go ahead and carry. I can't see them terminating you without first giving you a warning considering you're not breaking any rules or laws.

[BookerT]

I carry most days...company has a no carry policy....if it's truly concealed, nobody will ever know unless you need it to defend yourself or co-workers.... Then policy doesn't matter.

[Klaatu]

It is a pretty good rule that if you have to ask, someone will say no. Someone will ask a lawyer and then all manner of grief and new rules will descend.

In hospital I believe the onus on one carrying for concealment and security is as close to absolute as it may come in an otherwise legal place to carry. I am having a hard time picturing adequate concealment and security while wearing scrubs.

[mi2az]

My work doesn't allow it, but if it were acceptable to carry a man-purse, I would do it and carry at work. Seems purses would be less acceptable in getting exposed.

[bandit383]

There's the law and there is the policy...one gets you in jail the other gets you fired (if a policy exists). You need to find out if such a policy exits.

Rick