Human Resource Blog

Banning Guns at Work in Texas

In

Texas, can I prohibit employees from bringing guns to work?

For now, yes you can. As you may know, Texas has some of the most lenient gun laws in the country. The state allows almost anyone to own and carry a loaded, concealed handgun at all times. It’s reasonable to assume that many people you meet in the Lone

Star

State are carrying guns.

However, traditionally employers have been within their rights to ban guns on company property. This includes banning guns from cars in the company parking lot. Many companies have had this policy for decades, but it has recently been called into question.

The second amendment of the U.S. Constitution guarantees the right to bear arms. This amendment is interpreted very differently in different states. In Illinois, for example, guns are so strictly controlled that even private investigators can’t get a license to carry a handgun.

A bill in the Texas state legislature would have changed all of this. House Bill 220 would make it illegal for an employer to ban guns on company property. This includes the ban on guns in the employee’s car parked in the parking lot.

There are two schools of thought on this issue. Many employers point to increasing violence in the workplace as a reason to ban all guns. According to OSHA, According to the Texas Association of Business, the overwhelming majority of business owners think this way. And, 59% of voters agree with them.

On the other hand, the National Rifle Association (NRA) contends that tragedies like the one at Virginia Tech would have been minimized, if employees and students had access to loaded handguns. They point out that an employee determined to kill someone at work can always violate the rule, or keep guns and ammo in a car parked away from company property.

A similar bill has been debated and tabled for two consecutive years in Florida.  The issue is sure to come up again next year. In Florida, labor unions joined with the NRA in lobbying for the right to bear arms at work.

Currently, it is legal for an employer to ban handguns in all 50 states, but that may change in the near future.