New Gun Law for the Wild West

As of Sept. 30, 2009, employers in Arizona will be required—with a few exceptions—to permit employees to keep firearms in locked private vehicles or locked compartments on motorcycles in company parking lots, as long as the guns are not visible from outside the vehicle.

Theoretically, this protects individuals' rights to arm and defend themselves during their commute to and from work without the hassle of parking "off campus" at work or breaking workplace rules if their employers do not allow firearms on company property.

After writing that, I had an image from the news flash though my head. Have we really reached the point in our society where we are defending ourselves on our commute to work? Hmmmmm.

Listen, I'm neither left nor right wing on this issue. I like sport shooting, have been a gun-club member in the past and understand the concept of defending one's home, family, etc. I also understand how easy it is to obtain a weapon and that, generally, not everyone I meet strikes me as the perfect gun owner. So, let's set aside political rhetoric in this instance.

I've known someone in a position of power who kept a firearm in their vehicle even though the company's official policy stated this was not allowed. I've known several people who chose not to break the rule, but didn't like it.

The grander question here, for HR professionals, is how will this change the dynamic of the workplace? Is increased security necessary when someone is fired? If they are walked out to their vehicle, should they be accompanied by someone, or not? If an employee becomes angry at work and walks out toward the parking lot, should this raise alarm among his/her co-workers. What safeguards are in place to ensure worker safety? Are there safeguards?

On one message board I read, someone posted the following: "Those that carry are going to carry. Those that don't, don't." So, perhaps nothing has changed but a new law on the books. Perhaps behavior will continue to be the same. Violence in the workplace is nothing new. Whether this law helps, hinders or has no effect on the efforts to curb this violence remains to be seen.

ZW
http://www.azmobilehr.com/