Workplace Firearms Policy Is An Employer Conundrum

Homicide is the fifth-leading cause of workplace fatalities in the U.S., accounting for eight percent of fatal on-the-job injuries. At the same time, nearly half the states now have laws empowering employees to have guns either on or near their employer’s property. To further complicate the issue for employers, the Occupational Safety & Health Act imposes a general requirement to provide a workplace free from recognized hazards that cause or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm — not to mention that an employer could face tort claims from a third-party victim of violence occurring on company property. A post from Steptoe & Johnson looks at some of these complexities and where they leave employers, and provides some best practices.