As business officials hone their business continuity plan to adapt to their current social and political landscape, it is important for these decision makers to also factor in how proposed legislation could affect the terms of the plan.
This issue has been circulating in Tennessee recently after a bill was proposed that, if passed, would allow employees of any business in the state to bring a firearm to work and store it in their vehicles.
While the bill is reportedly being advocated for by the Tennessee Firearms Association, many local citizens, law enforcement officials and business owners are doing their best to ensure that such a potentially dangerous proposal doesn't become law.
And after analyzing a few statistics regarding gun violence in the workplace, concern over this bill is highly warranted. For example, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-fourth of shootings in the workplace occur because an employee was terminated. Considering this statistic, it could be incredibly dangerous for employees who feel wronged to have a deadly weapon so readily accessible.
Nonetheless, according to Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey, a lawful compromise may occur that allows "law-abiding, handgun permit carrying people to take their guns in places that seem legitimate."
Considering the difficulties this law could create for business owners, officials who may be affected by its passing would be well-advised to ramp up their business continuity plan by deploying the services of a consultant experienced in workplace violence preparedness.
Another viable solution to updating a violence prevention plan is sending business representatives to attend the Workshop On Emerging Trends And Approaches: Integrating And Collaborating Resources In Preventing Violence In The Workplace, at the Business Continuity Insights Management Conference 2012 taking place in April in Scottsdale, Arizona. At this workshop, officials will learn from certified professionals the best practices for securing a workplace from a violent incident to be optimally prepared for circumstances under which employees may have easy access to firearms.