Business Ethics Questionaire Requirement - No guns condition of employment

[kskgeos]

An interesting condundrum: I work for a very large multi-national company (to remain nameless for now) that requires all employees to sign a "Business Ethics Questionaire" annually. Not signing is grounds for termination. They use a back-door way to get around the fact that many states (like Florida where I live) have laws that maintain employees' Second Amendment rights by confirming that firearms may be kept locked in personal vehicles on company property.

One of the questions (a yes or no answer only) ascertains that the employee will obey all company policies. If you don't answer "Yes" you can be terminated. Naturally, one of the company policies is that no firearms or weapons of any kind are permitted on company property (this even extends to pocket knives).

This posed a double problem for me; one I was not about to allow them to infringe on my rights in such a manner, and two, my position as their regional land and water manager requires me to be in many extremely remote, undeveloped locations by myself driving a company vehicle, or vessel, or on foot. I am often in close proximity to alligators, various poisonous snakes, and wild hogs. Not to mention the potential to run into unfriendlies of the "illegal" persuasion (drugs and or aliens).

The company employs a number of people like myself around the country and the world. Here in the US, we worked with our National Director to come up with a solution; we all answered "No" to the question, and then filled in an explanation later in the questionaire demonstrating our need for self-protection. This was accepted by the company for our specific team, but it has not been extended to all employees.

HAs anyone out there had similar experiences? And if so, how did you resolve the issue?
Thanks.

 

[Punch]

My company has an official "no guns anywhere on company property" policy. However, being a public entitiy and since the emplyees are first covered by the State Constitution which prohibits any puiblic entity from making these kinds of laws, we have a bit of a stand-off. Nobody wants to be out of a job for a year while this moves up the court system, and the Company does not want their a$$ handed to them when it does make it through the court system. However, they are too pridefull and stupid to get rid of the policy. So, we have ended up with what amounts to a "don't ask, don't tell" policy.

 

[BiggDawg]

... my position as their regional land and water manager requires me to be in many extremely remote, undeveloped locations by myself driving a company vehicle, or vessel, or on foot. I am often in close proximity to alligators, various poisonous snakes, and wild hogs. Not to mention the potential to run into unfriendlies of the "illegal" persuasion (drugs and or aliens).

If you have determined that carrying is important, then the the conclusion follows directly and logically.
A) Admit it, and lose job NOW, or;
B) Don't admit it and maybe lose job later (if discovered).

I'll choose "maybe later" over "definitely now" ecry time.

So, only you can decide whether it is important enough to carry now, taking the risk of possibly being attacked or the risk of possibly being discovered and terminated.

 

[Nightmare45]

I would abide by their policy as far as they are concerned and request a copy of their liability policy covering you in the event you can not protect yourself, so that your family is set for the rest of their lives.