Can I force my employees to carry knifes?

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eccvets

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:confused: Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new business and was wondering if I could legally force my new employees to carry a knife on them. I figure I could write it in to my uniform code that they have to wear it on them at all times when they work for me. Hmmm I wonder...;)
 
eccvets said:
:confused: Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new business and was wondering if I could legally force my new employees to carry a knife on them. I figure I could write it in to my uniform code that they have to wear it on them at all times when they work for me. Hmmm I wonder...;)
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A box cutter perhaps? No, that wouldn't work. They would all want to go flying. ;)
 
eccvets said:
:confused: Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new business and was wondering if I could legally force my new employees to carry a knife on them. I figure I could write it in to my uniform code that they have to wear it on them at all times when they work for me. Hmmm I wonder...;)
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I guess you could require them to carry a knife if that was an condition of employment, if they needed it to perform the job, it would make sense. (You might even have to furnish the knives if they need it, to do the job) If they don't need one to perform the duties of the job, you will just look like a control freak in their eyes.

Or, better yet just interview people and hire only those that already carry a knife!
 
eccvets said:
:confused: Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new business and was wondering if I could legally force my new employees to carry a knife on them. I figure I could write it in to my uniform code that they have to wear it on them at all times when they work for me. Hmmm I wonder...;)
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I would hope that all your little winkies and emoticons means this is a tongue in cheek joke.

I mean, why wouldn't you want them to carry a knife? Surely, you would train them on the proper use of a knife, right? So if they cut themselves, your insurance company would be able to look to your training manual on that subject. Or if one of your employees threatened another with a knife, in court, you could proudly tell the judge instead of being a little pink wiener and having a "no weapons policy", you proudly plop your equipment down and announce that you have a "weapons required policy".

Sure, you only want them to carry a little knife, and don't encourage any stabbing, threatening, or stupid use of knife. And after all, you've never read anything around here about some jackass that does something stupid with a knife right? And of course, there is the scourge of the manly men of this forum, the weak kneed sheeple that pisses themselves when they see a peanut knife. Yeah... hard to imagine anything at all bad coming out of a requirement to carry a knife.

Ask Home Depot about this. Enough people cut themselves opening boxes, cutting strapping, cutting open displays, etc., with a knife that they went with a NO PERSONAL KNIFE policy. Oh yeah... an according to my commercial rep at the time, it was because they had their third stabbing on top of poor knife handling along wit just plain accidents.

Home Depot's solution is an issued utility knife that only lets out the replaceable blade 1/4". Still, my buddy told me they have had some slicing between fellow employees, even with that little, tiny nub.

If you wind up in court over some idiot that decided you treated them unfairly and the could twist the knife into the situation, all the :rolleyes::cool::p:D;) in the world won't save you.

Try employees for a while first. If you haven't been a full time employer for a while with several employees that you pay out of your own pocket for a year or two, you won't understand how important it is to make sure they can't screw themselves and blame it on you.

Robert
 
yeah, they would need it to open various things (unpacking mostly) as well as cutting off bandages, ties, and knots.

It would be wierd for someone in an office but I'm out in the field.






jill jackson said:
I guess you could require them to carry a knife if that was an condition of employment, if they needed it to perform the job, it would make sense. (You might even have to furnish the knives if they need it, to do the job) If they don't need one to perform the duties of the job, you will just look like a control freak in their eyes.

Or, better yet just interview people and hire only those that already carry a knife!
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I forget how stupid people can be. I would hope the people I employ wouldn't be that stupid but i guess accidents do happen. I cant belive people would cut themselves with a blade which comes out only 1/4 inch. I would have a GHLIT policy which would cover them if they did get hurt but I'm not sure if it would cover them if they hurt themselves on purpose. I guess I could tell them they can carry knifes and I wouldn't mind. Hell I'd buy the knifes for them if they wanted.

I was thinking perhaps a spyderco bug at least. I've used enough scalpel blades to open stuff in the past that I've lost a few just laying around which is dangerous and just plain wasteful, their not that cheap to be honest.

I wouldn't suggest to them to carry around a CS 6 inch Ti-lite although I have in the past.







midnight flyer said:
I would hope that all your little winkies and emoticons means this is a tongue in cheek joke.

I mean, why wouldn't you want them to carry a knife? Surely, you would train them on the proper use of a knife, right? So if they cut themselves, your insurance company would be able to look to your training manual on that subject. Or if one of your employees threatened another with a knife, in court, you could proudly tell the judge instead of being a little pink wiener and having a "no weapons policy", you proudly plop your equipment down and announce that you have a "weapons required policy".

Sure, you only want them to carry a little knife, and don't encourage any stabbing, threatening, or stupid use of knife. And after all, you've never read anything around here about some jackass that does something stupid with a knife right? And of course, there is the scourge of the manly men of this forum, the weak kneed sheeple that pisses themselves when they see a peanut knife. Yeah... hard to imagine anything at all bad coming out of a requirement to carry a knife.

Ask Home Depot about this. Enough people cut themselves opening boxes, cutting strapping, cutting open displays, etc., with a knife that they went with a NO PERSONAL KNIFE policy. Oh yeah... an according to my commercial rep at the time, it was because they had their third stabbing on top of poor knife handling along wit just plain accidents.

Home Depot's solution is an issued utility knife that only lets out the replaceable blade 1/4". Still, my buddy told me they have had some slicing between fellow employees, even with that little, tiny nub.

If you wind up in court over some idiot that decided you treated them unfairly and the could twist the knife into the situation, all the :rolleyes::cool::p:D;) in the world won't save you.

Try employees for a while first. If you haven't been a full time employer for a while with several employees that you pay out of your own pocket for a year or two, you won't understand how important it is to make sure they can't screw themselves and blame it on you.

Robert
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I can't see how it would be any different than a carpenter being required to always have their hammer on them. Of course if somebody hurts themselves with a hammer, or decides to use it as a weapon against another employee, nobody would blame the employer, so maybe a box cutter would be looked at as a tool, more so than a knife would if anything did happen.
 
A knife can be required as necessary equipment for performing their duties. BUT I WOULD CAUTION YOU THUSLY: There's a reason why so many big box stores require the use of safety box cutters, and that's liability. If you require the carry of knives on the job, I strongly suggest documented KNIFE SAFTEY TRAINING as part of their employee training. Run them through a course on knife safety, including things like appropriate and inappropriate uses of a knife, not cutting towards the body, and how to identify a dull edge so they're (in theory) never using a dangerously dull blade. Have them sign a document certifying that they've taken the training and they know how to do all that stuff. That way if they hurt themselves you're comparatively covered. You still run the risk of having to pay worker's comp, however, for knife-related injuries associated with performing their job.

If you enact such a policy, I'd suggest getting a bunch of orange Mora Companions as a story-issue knife, but allow them to use their own knife if they so choose. The Companion is inexpensive and has a sheath that can clip to the waistband or clothing. And it's bright so they'll be less likely to lose it.



The above is no substitue for the advice of a lawyer. I recommend consulting with a specialist in employment policy and safety. You gotta' protect yourself above all things.
 
When I was working for a cable company down in Florida I had a boss that called a meeting and handed out rough riders to everyone and said in our job a knife is a tool you can't do without and he strongly recommends carrying one. Not sure how many people carried a knife after that but if they didn't have one when they needed one they had no excuse.
 
If a business is allowed to tell their employees that the CAN'T carry a knife, then they are allowed to tell them that they must carry one.
If it goes one way, then it goes the other way too.
 
A.P.F. said:
Never even entered my mind. Why did it enter yours?
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Didn't enter mine either, but To be fair, I don't even know what your original comment means!

OP, I don't know what your business is, but if it requires a knife to work, you have a strong case for a recommendation to carry a knife. If not, that's just kind of picky.
 
If you really want to make it happen? Provide a set dollar amount in reimbursement for whatever blade they want to buy!

I agree with the "We recommend you carry a locking, folding knife (or whatever) at all times" approach, especially if carrying a knife is important to the success of your business.
 
the only thing about a Mora Companions is that its a fixed blade and carrying a fixed blade in my area is a no-no via the police. dont wanna get anyone arrested or anything and my very small business will be me and an assistant/technician basically. If i had to buy a lot of knifes though, Mora would be the way I would have went (I have a few already and love them!).
 
If you don't min my asking, what'll you be doing then? I, for instance, see it as unlikely that a police officer would take issue with electrician carrying an electrician's knife, or a flooring worker carrying a linoleum knife, though they are both fixed blades.

If it's just you and a technician then I'd just offer the cash reimbursement and suggest a few different makes/models. Byrds might work.
 
I hope you hire people who are smart enough to figure out how to open packages and cut things on their own. Let them decide what tool is best for them.
 
eccvets said:
:confused: Ok, so I'm planning on starting a new business and was wondering if I could legally force my new employees to carry a knife on them. I figure I could write it in to my uniform code that they have to wear it on them at all times when they work for me. Hmmm I wonder...;)
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You may not be able to force them, legally, to carry a knife on their person. But if your business requires the constant use of a certain type of knife (carpet installation, rigging, etc.), then you could issue the knives as company equipment. Whether they carry them on their person in a pocket, toolbelt or a toolbox would depend largely upon their assignment for the day. It would certainly be an affirmative defense in court if one of your employees was pulled over on his/her way to a job site and the officer tried to arrest for illegal possession/carrying (like what is happening on a regular basis in NYC). However, I am not an attorney. Knives are often viewed as weapons. If you issue the knives and an employee squabble turns into a fatal stabbing, your liability insurance may or may not cover you. Definitely run this by a competent attorney. However, I like your idea!
 
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