Requiring CCW for
Employees: A Smart Move
By Dean Weingarten. April 17th, 2017
Article Source
In a recent defense story from Cleveland, Ohio, a man said that he had a concealed carry permit because his past employer required it. From cleveland.com:
He said he has a concealed carry permit because he used to work at a barbershop, and the owner required barbers to get their concealed carry licenses for their protection.
I suspect that more businesses are taking this approach. It brings about many benefits. Last year, we had the example of a Georgia business owner who required his employees to be armed. He would give them a Taurus Judge revolver when they showed him their concealed carry permit.
Here are a few of the advantages. They have been hidden behind false narratives and misinformation about people who legally carry guns.
1. Employees with a concealed carry permit are a deterrent to robbery and physical attacks on the business premises. This may seem obvious, but you will find many who claim, without support, that it is not so. Having more than one employee armed at a location makes it an extremely unattractive target. There are too many variables, and too much to go wrong for any thinking robber.
2. There is an obvious, clear screen to limit employees to a select, high quality level. Permit holders are self selected to be one of the most law abiding, responsible groups in the nation. Their crime rates are only a fraction of those of police officers; they are many more times as law abiding as the general population.
3. Your employees are in a group that puts a high value on personal responsibility and self reliance. This is the group least likely to blame you for personal failures, or to see your business as a potential source of a "liability lottery". They look ahead, see problems, and do things about them.
4. The state is now doing a continuous screening process for you, one that is actionable and clear. If an employee becomes likely to have problems (according to the state, not the employer), their permit will be taken from them. The employer then has reason to dismiss the employee.
In some states there is another benefit.
Wisconsin, Kansas, and Tennessee offer immunity from lawsuit if the employer allows employees to be armed. From Wis. Stat. § 175.60(21)(b), (c):
(b) A person that does not prohibit an individual from carrying a concealed weapon on property that the person owns or occupies is immune from any liability arising from its decision.
From kslegislature.org 75-7c10(c)(2)
(2) Any private entity which does not provide adequate security measures in a private building and which allows the carrying of a concealed handgun shall not be liable for any wrongful act or omission relating to actions of persons carrying a concealed handgun concerning acts or omissions regarding such handguns.
From tndefenselitigation.com:
(a) A person, business, or other entity that owns, controls, or manages property and has the authority to prohibit weapons on that property by posting, pursuant to § 39-17-1359, shall be immune from civil liability with respect to any claim based on such person's, business's, or other entity's failure to adopt a policy that prohibits weapons on the property by posting pursuant to § 39-17-1359.
The advantages are clear. We will be seeing more business owners with this policy.
©2017 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included. Link to Gun Watch.
Dean Weingarten comments on another way that a 'gun-free-zone' business can be avoided. Arguably many might of course make the point that a permit should not itself be needed, but the principle here is laudable - whereby the business owner insures against the possibility of an armed attack by having recourse to an armed response. Not only are the employees potentially safer but, as or more important, so are the customers.