Someone says something to HR because you had the same conversation at work that you’d have in the press room (and sober) of an NRA Annual Meeting and you can be out on your ear. Unemployment
I would not go as far as being fired, but it will definitely will affect your advancement at work. Remember something: All those people who graduated from mayors Gender Studies or Socialist Flower Arrangement can only find “executive” jobs in the Huma Resources area. Unless otherwise proven, anybody working for any HR department in the US are bleeding heart liberals that fantasize having sex with Bernie and being whipped by Occasional-Cortex.
In one of the jobs I had, I made the mistake of being open about my shooting competitions and other shooting related stuff except anything politics and even the blog went unmentioned. It was eventually used against me when I applied for a supervisor position. I was called to HR to be told I did not get the position and was given to a younger, less time on the job and inexperienced kid and the excuse I was given initially was that I was hot-tempered because a small encounter I had with a company associate violating security procedures. When I prompted how did they know about it, I was told the person had lodged a grievance when it happened, two months earlier. When I asked why wasn’t I interviewed so I could not only give my side of the story and interview the witness who was there and could confirm my side. She started babbling stuff that did not make sense about not being one thing but a bunch of little ones and then it escaped her lips: “Your training.”
It took me a bit to process what she meant by it and then it dawned on me she meant my shooting matches. I asked her and she went around the mulberry bush but never denied it. Since the die was already cast and the position filled, I thanked her for her time with exquisite politeness and left HR. I continued to be very formal and very polite with her every time we crossed paths which made her very nervous but there was nothing she could do. A couple of months later, there was an investigation in her office and she resigned unexpectedly.
Even my boss set me up, or tried. the company building was going to be closed for six months for renovation. Some of the associates were sent to other locations, some were told they would come back and given a six month not-severance package and the rest were just given the severance package plus vacation and sick time and said nothing about coming back. We were essentially dismissed. After the building was empty, some of us were told we were needed for 12 hour fire watch for a period of about 2 weeks while they emptied the place and prepped everything for the renovation. I got about 5 days including the first and last. It was a simple thing: you stayed next to the fire panel and just keep an eye on alarms going off. The day before the first night, my boss explained to me what was it about and made the comment “I wouldn’t do this shit unarmed.” and left it like that.
By now I knew it was a set up. If I was fired, I did not get my severance package and his office budget would look better. I also knew I was going to be under a surveillance camera all the time while on duty and I am sure he accessed remotely thinking he would catch me in the act of fondling my gun. I got confirmation later on by a third-party and he was disappointed I did not bring with me a gun.
Apropos of nothing, let us always remember that when you carry concealed, it means concealed.
So, after a very long and boring tirade, don’t mention shit at work about your gun proclivities. Exception to be made if you work for the gun industry , of course, otherwise you would be weird and sent to HR with reason.
Yikes.
I haven’t had problems, in spite of working for a disarmed victim tech company headquartered just north of Austin. And I’ve had various Oleg Volk posters on my cubicle walls. And, for bending some heads, an Operation Blazing Sword one. Reactions, when I get them, tend to be positive.
Work for state-level government agency, on the tech side. More conservatives and gun aficionados on the tech end of things than you might think, even among government employees — it’s almost like we’re people who have to acknowledge the limits of how things are and not how we want them to be. Or something.
But we’re tight-lipped about firearms and shooting unless we KNOW we’re among a friendly crowd. HR rep or liberal/socialist manager (there are several) comes around, and the conversation smoothly and subtly shifts directions.
It’s also a “weapon-free zone” by policy (with a VERY odd and loose definition of “weapon”), which ironically, as far as I can tell, directly conflicts with state law (update here). Plenty of CHL holders, but nobody carries on the job; they’d get fired immediately. State law being what it is, one would probably win a wrongful termination lawsuit, but the risks are high and nobody wants to be the “test case”.
And pro-gun people continue to not see the parallel between the LGBT movement and gun ownership.
Can’t talk about it at work. Can get fired for it. HIDE HOW YOU FEEL!
They provided a road-map that can be used by any group, and gunnies get all skin-crawly when you suggest using it.
Some do, some don’t. The strong favorable response to Operation Blazing Sword is very encouraging.
Learned a long time ago that HR is not your friend. One of the perks associated with the my first real job was a 10% raise after 6 months. My 6 month plus one paycheck showed up with no raise. Called HR to ask if raise was automatic, or did I have to put in for it, answer was that it was supposed to be automatic. I was called out of the office for a job, by the time I returned (about 30-45 minute) the boss called me into his office and reamed me for “going over his head to HR”. I just wanted a question answered, but HR called my boss and got on his case for not putting in for the raise. So much for HR confidentiality. and of course S*** does flow downhill.
It all depends on how and who you talk to about your hobby. I work for a large corporation and many people know about my hobby. I have taken several co-workers and their spouses shooting for the 1st time. I approach is as a fun activity and I don’t give it a a prepper/swat wannabe vibe. I talk about it all the time and I have worked here for 20+ years.
I’m sorry, but in your story about losing the job to someone else, you yourself say that you had a heated conversation with someone about “a small encounter”. This really sounds more like a personal problem than a gun problem.
Interesting. I attempt to keep tight lipped but my experience has been that eventually like minded individuals find each other. The other thung was post Sandy Hook I overheard so much blatantly false and innacurate crap I couldn’t help but not speak up and make corrections. I think it helped coming from the clam, reasoned guy that was honest and dependable that everyone already knew and liked.
Ive never had a poor experience with HR or anyone else regarding guns at work and I have only worked in CT, perhaps I’m lucky.
Matt 100%. I have dispelled so much bunk info about guns at work it’s unbelievable. People only have movies and the news for reference sources. Coincidentally, I also work in CT. Small world.
Small world indeed!
One of the biggest I found was conflation of terminology; auto, semi auto, assault rifle, assault weapon, etc etc
The other was just telling people there is already a state (in CT) or federal law that does thing X they want a law for.