false compartments etc

[chipperi]

My employer has started placing no weapons signs all over the building with wording like "prohibited on all company grounds including parking areas. Regardless if a person is licensed by their state to carry weapon or not."

Question 1:Can an employer legally search your vehicle in TN?

Question 2: any advice on how to make or where to buy a false compartment that would be easily overlooked during a brief search?

The policy has always been this way but not enforced. We were bought out last year by a much larger company based unfortunately out of Chicago and they are advising us it will be strictly enforced.

[Guest jcoyle6]

I don't know that we should answer this out in the open being that this is a public forum. IMHO I'd just get a super compact pocket gun or keep things well hidden in my vehicle.

[Guest bkelm18]

My employer has started placing no weapons signs all over the building with wording like "prohibited on all company grounds including parking areas. Regardless if a person is licensed by their state to carry weapon or not."

Question 1:Can an employer legally search your vehicle in TN?

Question 2: any advice on how to make or where to buy a false compartment that would be easily overlooked during a brief search?

The policy has always been this way but not enforced. We were bought out last year by a much larger company based unfortunately out of Chicago and they are advising us it will be strictly enforced.

If the company owns the land on which your car is parked then yes they can search it.

[strickj]

the car thing is debated but I say you can always carry in your car.your car is an extention of your home and you have the same rights.

on them searching your car,I would tell them to stick it up there ass,but if your paranoid about a stip search stick it under your carpet under the passenger side seat(not the floor mats,the carpet itself)this is where i store my cw the very few times i leave it in my car.it is un-findalbe when i do this.slide your seat foward and pull the carpet back(you may have to cut a slit but its under the seat so its not noticeable,store gun,pull carpet back over gun,return seat to normal.

[saintsfanbrian]

TN is a right to work state. They can fire you for any reason. They can search your vehicle if it is on company property and it is probably in your employee manual that you signed agreeing to the policies there in to work for them.

You can find many types of safes to keep in your car but you run the problem of where do you disarm? In the parking lot? Likely that a co-worker will see you. A couple of blocks away? Not a good idea either. It comes down to you either carry to work or you don't.

Personally, I like the idea of a pocket gun in the back pocket and if it looks like they are going to start searching employees then it is time to find a new job.

[strickj]

TN is a right to work state but an employer can not force there way into your car,even on there parking lot,so unless you allow them to look you can press criminal charges for b&e.yes you will be fired but your boss will go to jail.I say carry to work,disarm when you get there(no one will see unless you do it right in front of someone)and if they want to search your car say no and hope they do it anyway.just keep quiet about it,dont even let on that you like guns and all will be fine IMO

[Guest bkelm18]

So its either let them search your car and find the gun and get fired, or refuse to let them search your car to find the gun and get fired. I vote for a pocket gun.

[Guest canynracer]

Question 1:Can an employer legally search your vehicle in TN?

Yes, but you will have to be present, and agree to the search. (see bkelms post above for more info )

Question 2: any advice on how to make or where to buy a false compartment that would be easily overlooked during a brief search?

This is something you will have to look around and be creative with. Drug dealers do it all the time...some hide drugs behind door panels, under the hood, in AC vents ect....so this is something you will have to sit in your car and look around for. I choose not to carry, cause its against policy. To me, I need to keep my family fed, and pay the bills.

[DWARREN123]

It is many companies policy for no firearms on company property and they can search your car if it is on company owned land. Do what you feel you need to but if caught you will probably be fired at the minimum.

[mdmoseley]

According to state law

39-17-1359. Prohibition at certain meetings — Posting notice. —

Posted notices shall be displayed in prominent locations, including all entrances primarily used by persons entering the building, portion of the building or buildings where weapon possession is prohibited. If the possession of weapons is also prohibited on the premises of the property as well as within the confines of a building located on the property, the notice shall be posted at all entrances to the premises that are primarily used by persons entering the property.

In order for them to prohibit having it in your car it has to be posted at the entry to the property not just the building. Nissan is a great example. The parking lot is completely gated off and it's posted at the gates when you go in. The way I see it is if it's only on the door and not the entrance to the parking lot then you are well within your right. If they did fire you then that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

[Guest pws_smokeyjones]

You should think about the real possibilities that your employeer is going to want to search your car. They are not going to do that unless they have a really strong reason to. If you don't give them a reason to, and you don't blab to your coworkers about having a gun in your car, then chances are that you can just leave it locked in the console or whatever and nobody is ever going to search. However in the spirit of full disclosure, when I was faced with this exact same situation last year - I immediately started looking for a new job. I got real lucky and not only found a cool new job, but also found one that has no problem with firearms inside the workplace. Go figure.

[saintsfanbrian]

There is NOTHING in our corporate manual about weapons at all in the workplace. I love it. Don't ask, don't tell.....

[Guest canynracer]

According to state law

39-17-1359. Prohibition at certain meetings — Posting notice. —

Posted notices shall be displayed in prominent locations, including all entrances primarily used by persons entering the building, portion of the building or buildings where weapon possession is prohibited. If the possession of weapons is also prohibited on the premises of the property as well as within the confines of a building located on the property, the notice shall be posted at all entrances to the premises that are primarily used by persons entering the property.

In order for them to prohibit having it in your car it has to be posted at the entry to the property not just the building. Nissan is a great example. The parking lot is completely gated off and it's posted at the gates when you go in. The way I see it is if it's only on the door and not the entrance to the parking lot then you are well within your right. If they did fire you then that would be a lawsuit waiting to happen.

not entirely true...as an employee I have a handbook, I signed the handbook, the handbook states, no weapons (list out several weapons) on any property owned or leased by the comany, they go even further by saying in the workplace, which could be anywhere as long as you are on the clock.

We have no signs except the ones that say that vehicles on the property are subject to search. and you have to go through security...

[Guest bkelm18]

Yep, if you signed the handbook stating no handguns on company property, that negates the need to post it at the entrances to the parking lot.

[Fallguy]

To sum it up...mdmoseley is right except for canynracer's & bkelm18's notation.

Plus I also agree with pws_smokeyjones

[Guest Engloid]

They cannot force you to let them search your car, no matter what they say or what their policy is. If that were the case, I could search any vehicle that was parked in my driveway. I may have the right to have it towed, but if I break into it for a search, I'm breaking and entering. Of course the company may fire you for not letting them search.

Ever see the signs on back of dump trucks "not responsible for fallen debris?" If you believe it, they achieved their goal...to misinform you. It's a lie, and it's legal. They ARE responsible for securing whatever load they are carrying.

[Guest canynracer]

They cannot force you to let them search your car, no matter what they say or what their policy is. If that were the case, I could search any vehicle that was parked in my driveway. I may have the right to have it towed, but if I break into it for a search, I'm breaking and entering. Of course the company may fire you for not letting them search.

Ever see the signs on back of dump trucks "not responsible for fallen debris?" If you believe it, they achieved their goal...to misinform you. It's a lie, and it's legal. They ARE responsible for securing whatever load they are carrying.

Nobody said they can "force" you, or break into it...but they can fire you if you refuse...this is an "At will State"...they can fire you for farting if they want...point is, if you refuse the search, you can get fired...

and if there is a car in your driveway, and the person that parked it there signed a contract with you, they can either let you search it, or you can have it removed...

there are companies that search you on the way out of their building to make sure nothing is being stolen...they do not discriminate, they search EVERYONE, reguardless of title...if you dont like that, you dont have to work there

Edited February 11, 2008 by canynracer

[Guest Engloid]

this is an "At will State"...they can fire you for farting if they want...point is, if you refuse the search, you can get fired...

Many people sue and get backpay (or unemployment) after getting fired also.

[Guest bkelm18]

Many people sue and get backpay (or unemployment) after getting fired also.

Doesn't change the fact you ain't got no job anymore.

[Guest Engloid]

Doesn't change the fact you ain't got no job anymore.

Yes, it can change that...and pay you for the time you didn't work.

Everybody gets caught up in the "fire at will" stuff, and they don't seem to understand that it's more complex than that.

Go fire a black man for being black and see how far that logic gets you.

[Fallguy]

In a round about way Engloid brings up a point. In that it is when a company does fire you for a reason that it can get in more trouble than if they just fire you period. The key for them is not to state a reason, but to just let you go.

But if the let you go for reason "X". You may or may not be able to prove reason X was wrong, prejicicual, inaccurate etc....

[Guest Engloid]

In a round about way Engloid brings up a point. In that it is when a company does fire you for a reason that it can get in more trouble than if they just fire you period. The key for them is not to state a reason, but to just let you go.

But if the let you go for reason "X". You may or may not be able to prove reason X was wrong, prejicicual, inaccurate etc....

An example:

You get fired for missing attendance after using up 3 sick days and then three additional days unexcused. You know of other employees that have missed more days, but are still employed there... you have grounds to sue, and the company is in a pinch to defend its actions.

[Guest canynracer]

We are not hung up on the "At will" thing...you can sue anyone for about anything...

you signed a handbook, a contract by its intent and purpose....you breach a contract, there are consequences. That consequence is getting fired. Sure you can sue, but the ultimate reality is that you breached a contract that YOU signed willingly, and you are suing because you carried a firearm on COMPANY owned property. That is the fact.

you can sue, but more than likely, you will lose this one. Do you really have the time, and money to hire a mediocre lawyer to go up against a corporate dream team because you carried a GUN on company owned property?

this is not about race, it is about bringing a gun on company owned property knowing damn well it was not allowed.

[strickj]

My arguement with that cany is that your car is not company owned property so they have no right to tell you what you can,and can not have in your car,contract or not.Are you going to let them give you a prostate exam because its in your "contract"?they can put it in writing all they want and fire me all they want,but I be darned if I let my company stick there finger up my you know what without some hell coming there way.

[Guest Engloid]

We are not hung up on the "At will" thing...you can sue anyone for about anything...

you signed a handbook, a contract by its intent and purpose....you breach a contract, there are consequences. That consequence is getting fired. Sure you can sue, but the ultimate reality is that you breached a contract that YOU signed willingly, and you are suing because you carried a firearm on COMPANY owned property. That is the fact.

you can sue, but more than likely, you will lose this one.

this is not about race, it is about bringing a gun on company owned property knowing damn well it was not allowed.

Actually, what you're calling a contract is signed "under duress." They rarely stand up in court, any more than when a company tells you that you cannot work for a competitor for 5 years after you leave them.