Union County officials have changed the county employee handbook to bring it into compliance with state gun laws.
In March, the state legislature made changes to Ohio’s concealed carry weapons law. The new law allows employees to bring guns to company parking lots and licensed Ohioans to carry concealed guns to more places. Employers can still ban weapons inside their businesses, but they can’t prohibit concealed carry permit holders from leaving firearms locked in their personal vehicles parked on company property.
“Our policies, the way they were written would have conflicted with our laws,” said Ginger Yonak, human resources director for Union County.
She said the county’s employee handbook was amended, “to do nothing more than comply with Ohio law.”
“A county employee or official with a valid license to carry a concealed handgun may bring a handgun onto county land (including parking lots) but must leave the handgun in their own locked vehicle, either locked in the glove compartment, locked in the trunk or locked inside a gun case,” according to the new policy, approved and posted online earlier this week. “The employees vehicle must be parked in a permitted area. An employee or official with a valid license to carry a concealed handgun may remove the handgun from their own vehicle parked on county property only for the purpose of transporting it to and from the trunk of that vehicle for storage.”
The new county policy specifies that any county employee or official who violates the policy is, “acting outside the course and scope of their duties.”
“Union County will not defend or indemnify such actions by any county official or employee, according to the policy. “Any county employee found to be in violation of this policy will be subject to disciplinary action, up to and encouraging discharge.”
Yonak said the new policy “expressly states” it does not conflict with any state law.
The new law also grants civil immunity to employers for injuries and deaths that result from guns brought on company property.
The law also allows concealed carry permit holders to store their guns in the car while in a school zone, carry in non-secure areas of airports and carry inside daycare centers and home day cares, unless the facilities post a sign prohibiting guns. The change does not apply to federal buildings.
Opponents of the law change say it interferes with employers’ property rights. Supporters said the changes are intended to prevent law-abiding gun owners from accidentally breaking the law.
Yonak said that while officials were looking at the concealed weapons policy, they began to examine the workplace violence policy as well because it does address weapons. Yonak said this gave officials an opportunity to address a deficiency.
She explained that when an individual files for a restraining order, they list their home and can choose to list their workplace as well. Yonak said the amended policy, “encourages employees to provide the employer with notice if they have a restraining order where Union County is listed as a work location.”
“That really is to put the employer on notice from a safety sensitive situation.