Life goes on...

[Murgatroy]

I have been lurking lately, but life took a recent rough turn for me this morning and I thought I would take the time to tell my story as a cautionary tale.

 

We are all firearms enthusiasts, and collectors, and often times I see right here on the site folks talk about scoffing at the rules of their employers. Well, I was one of those. But as it turns out, employers take that stuff serious.

 

I had entered into several transactions with a coworker over the last several years, buying, selling horsetrading and the like. He came across some good deals from time to time, and passed them on. Well turns out that as a supervisor he wound up pissing someone off on his crew and they called HR and reported the situation. So even though I sold him an AR over a year ago, work took that as enough to terminate me for 'possession and transfer of a firearm on company property.' The fact that I was one of ten folks let go today for the same offense didn't really soften the blow. I had been with the company for ten years.

 

It is what it is, and I understand that I broke the rules, so don't take this to seem like I am blaming anyone. Well, other than myself.

 

I am just taking the time to let others that thought like myself that little infractions don't matter, well, they do.

 

I haven't made my mind up if I will fight it, it was a pretty rough time and a lot of things were said in the heat of the moment that could possibly hurt me, but it is what it is.

 

 

 

 

 

 

With that said, if anyone knows of a Dispatch/Warehouse/logistics position in the Louisville Kentucky area, let me know. I am fluent in UPS Roadnet and Fleetloader, and versed in AS400 with minimal knowledge of SAP. Ten years experience.

[Omega]

Did they put that on paper?  Sounds like they only have the snitch's side of things since it was a year ago.  What company were you working for?  Sounds like someone I would not do business with.

[BigK]

damn, that sucks

 

mind if I ask?...without an admission of guilt, how do they know the transfer took place on company property? video? 

 

best of wishes on the job hunt

[Murgatroy]

Dr. Pepper Snapple Group.

 

After ten years with the company It is disappointing it went down like this.

 

The snitch wasn't involved in my transactions, but he was involved with the other person. He lost his job, and turned belly up on everything that had ever occurred in the building. It led to a massive investigation. That is the reason so many folks went down. The guy I had dealt with lied through his teeth about the whole thing, and they had him dead to rights, because everyone else went in and told the truth. At that point no one had lost their jobs. I went in and was uncooperative until I knew what the situation was and what the accusations were. Because I refused to answer questions that they already knew the answers to and responded in kind it was taken that I was being dishonest. Even after I told them the truth, because of the tone and hostility it was taken that I was lying because I was not forthcoming. Not that it made a difference in regards to dishonesty, as the final charges for termination were dishonesty and possession/transfer on my termination notice.

 

It was after that that heads started rolling. At the end of the day anyone that had bought or sold anything 'prohibited' at work lost their job. I head a rumor that one guy is gone over a pocket knife. But that is just a rumor. A large portion of the management team is out of work this afternoon. 

 

With the recent climate and attitude towards gun owners, I am certain this is the new normal.

 

In the last ten years I have bought, sold and traded well over a dozen firearms at work. I didn't roll on anyone, and only one person I had a transaction with lost his job, and it is him that lead to me. It was something I took completely for granted as we were very often doing this, and I would say that less than a third of the folks involved lost their jobs. So the good news is that not everyone turned on others. That is at least one good thing.

 

Like I said before, this is just a heads up for anyone like me that thought this was a practice that corporations would look the other way on.

[peejman]

Wow, that really sucks.  In Kentucky of all places too.  Hopefully this will lead to something better. 

[Hozzie]

I think the moral of this story is if you want to do business with a co-worker, do it off site.  

Sorry you had to lose your job over it.

[gregintenn]

That sucks for sure. I'm not sure I'd want to work at a place like.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but assuming you guys did your job well, I wonder if they thought it through what will happen in the morning without these ten employees. :shrug:

 

You might get a phone call yet.

[Murgatroy]

That sucks for sure. I'm not sure I'd want to work at a place like.

 

Please don't take this the wrong way, but assuming you guys did your job well, I wonder if they thought it through what will happen in the morning without these ten employees. :shrug:

 

You might get a phone call yet.

Yeah, that would be nice, but that isn't the way the company works. They are a massive corporation. With one of the largest fleets in the nation. Everything is a number to them. Every liability a lawsuit. There was a time, when I hired in, that it is a personable company, and something like this wouldn't even have drawn a rebuke.

[vontar]

Sounds like snitch got in trouble for something unrelated, and decided to to take someone else with them.  Ended up going scorched earth on everyone else as a side effect.

Edited August 18, 2015 by vontar

[Sam1]

damn that sucks man, hope you find something soon.  I haven't been in the private sector for about 10 years, back then I never seen any kind of policy like that.  Is it common now to see those kinds of policies? They didn't care about buy/sell/trade whatever as long as it wasn't inside their buildings.

Edited August 18, 2015 by Sam1

[Murgatroy]

I have a part time job that I have been doing for a while, so I will just pick up hours there, but it is still a significant pay cut losing my primary job. The downside is that my job was very specialized and there are only a handful of companies that do what I did. The upside is that it is very specialized and I have ten years experience in it.

[MacGyver]

The question I would have is whether management knew of any of the other sales as a part of their investigation where the person was not fired today as a result.

Consistency matters in Human Resources - especially when it comes to terminations. If it turns out they were selective, I might be inclined to discuss it with counsel.

[runco]

No one at work knows how serious I am on guns, they may suspect, they have not proof, but I have never acquired a gun on company property.  Now I do answer some gun questions from time to time, so that is the only hint anyone may know.  I will say Thank you Tennessee for the parking lot bill though! 

[btq96r]

I have a part time job that I have been doing for a while, so I will just pick up hours there, but it is still a significant pay cut losing my primary job. The downside is that my job was very specialized and there are only a handful of companies that do what I did. The upside is that it is very specialized and I have ten years experience in it.

 

Glad you aren't cut off cold turkey from an income.  With luck and your resume, here's hoping you get back to full time employment before long. 

[Murgatroy]

The question I would have is whether management knew of any of the other sales as a part of their investigation where the person was not fired today as a result.

Consistency matters in Human Resources - especially when it comes to terminations. If it turns out they were selective, I might be inclined to discuss it with counsel.

It is my understanding that anyone that who's name was mentioned as being involved, was interviewed and subsequently terminated. The long tearful farewell I received explicitly mentioned consistency in the disciplinary action. My department was a very close and tight department, it was four of us who handled a dozen states. My departure very much so hurt them as our manager is going to be on extended leave for surgery. I have no doubt in my mind this was an act performed by a bean counter who has absolutely no idea of who I am beyond the statements made during the investigation.

 

I could possibly pursue a course of legal actions, but I am pretty sure it would wind up with me spending a fair amount of money with naught to gain.

[Murgatroy]

Glad you aren't cut off cold turkey from an income.  With luck and your resume, here's hoping you get back to full time employment before long. 

I have spent the entire afternoon hammering out a rough resume and applying to a dozen jobs through various 'job sites.' While things are going to be extremely tight for the near future, I am sure I will be fine.

 

At least I hope so. Sadly the Kentucky Gun Forums Classifieds aren't as active as the ones here on TGO, otherwise I would have a good back-up plan. ;)

[btq96r]

I have spent the entire afternoon hammering out a rough resume and applying to a dozen jobs through various 'job sites.' While things are going to be extremely tight for the near future, I am sure I will be fine.

 

At least I hope so. Sadly the Kentucky Gun Forums Classifieds aren't as active as the ones here on TGO, otherwise I would have a good back-up plan. ;)

 

If you aren't on there already, get a LinkedIn account.  Lots of job listings are posted there, plus you can search the industry you're in and maybe something will come up.

[vontar]

No one at work knows how serious I am on guns, they may suspect, they have not proof, but I have never acquired a gun on company property.  Now I do answer some gun questions from time to time, so that is the only hint anyone may know.  I will say Thank you Tennessee for the parking lot bill though! 

KY has had a parking allot bill for years.  A very good one.

 

 

 

www.handgunlaw.us

6

give one to the owner of the establishment that has the signage." As responsible gu

n owners and upholders of

the 2nd Amendment we should also honor the rights of property owners to control their own property even if

we disagree with them.”

“No Firearm”

signs in Kentucky have no force of law unless they are posted on property that is s

pecifically

mentioned in State Law as being off limits to those with a Permit/License to Carry. If you are in a place not

specifically mentioned in the law that is posted and they ask you to leave, you must leave. If you refuse to

leave then you are break

ing the law and can be charged.

Even if the property is not posted and you are asked

to leave you must leave. Always be aware of the possibility that responding Police Officers who may have

been called without your knowledge and may not know the laws on

t

respass etc. could arrest you even if you

are within the law.

Parking Lot Storage Law

237.106

Right of Employees and Other Persons to Possess Firearms in Vehicle

--

Employer Liable for

Denying R

ight

--

Exceptions.

(1)

No person, including but not limited to an employer, who is the owner, lessee, or occupant of

real property shall prohibit any person who is legally entitled to possess a firearm from

possessing a firearm, part of a firearm, ammunition

, or ammunition component in a vehicle on

the property.

Note:

US District Ct Eastern District of Kentucky Northern Division Ashland ruled that an employee

can have rules concerning informing an employee that you are going to have legal firearms in your

ve

hicle when parked on company property and it must be concealed inside the vehicle. See the Court

Ruling

Here

.

http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/kentucky.pdf

 

 

 

Murgatroy sent you a PM, possible idea. Edited August 18, 2015 by vontar

[Dad03]

Sorry to hear of this. Knowing nothing other than what I just read I would say the company was looking to downsize and to avoid paying severance they pulled this card.

[Murgatroy]

 

KY has had a parking allot bill for years.  A very good one.

 

 

Because the firearm left my trunk for the purpose of a transfer I am not protected via the law. I forget the exact case, but it went through the courts here and the company was found justified because the firearm left the vehicle.

[Murgatroy]

Sorry to hear of this. Knowing nothing other than what I just read I would say the company was looking to downsize and to avoid paying severance they pulled this card.

It would be easier to think that, but it isn't, it is just my own stupidity. HR is a dedicated team of devils. And once they got a whiff of something, they went insane over it. I just got a text a minute ago, total count is over 15 now.

[Omega]

It would be easier to think that, but it isn't, it is just my own stupidity. HR is a dedicated team of devils. And once they got a whiff of something, they went insane over it. I just got a text a minute ago, total count is over 15 now.

Sounds like a lot of anti-gun social media posts are forthcoming.

[R_Bert]

It seems that a bit of "corporate training" would have been a much better solution to an "endemic" problem, rather than blowing the foot off of a facility.  This one will likely show up on a seminar slide-show.

Edited August 19, 2015 by R_Bert

[RED333]

My 0.02, you messed up and got caught.

Now for the good news, this will be the best move of your life, things cant do anything but get better.

Praying for good things.

[Murgatroy]

My 0.02, you messed up and got caught.

Now for the good news, this will be the best move of your life, things cant do anything but get better.

Praying for good things.

Absolutely. I was jaded with my job, but I never would have done something as drastic as quit, or sought alternate employment. This is for the best. It just hurts right now. Today.