Sensible work carry policy

[KeithAM]

My son started his first real job a couple of weeks ago. He's following in my footsteps by working at the local hardware store in our town which has been operating since 1928. It's a real old-fashioned hardware store where you can still buy nails by the pound.

Anyway, I mentioned to my son that he should probably carry one of his knives on the job. I was pleasently surprised when he told me that not only is he allowed to carry a knife, he's encouraged to do so. :thumbup:

When I worked at the same store in the 70s I wore a Schrade Sharpfinger and used it often. The bosses were glad I did and basically everyone carried some kind of knife. It's good to see that hasn't changed.

My father-in-law works in the hardware department at a Sears store. I gave him a small Case copperhead to carry which he used at work. The knife is less than 3" long closed. When his manager saw it, he said it was "too big" to carry at work. What a contrast! :thumbdn:

 

[Planterz]

Don't they sell garden sheers, chisels, machetes, lawnmower blades (some folks call them sling blades mmmhhhmm), carpet knives, and the like there?

 

[KeithAM]

Don't they sell garden sheers, chisels, machetes, lawnmower blades (some folks call them sling blades mmmhhhmm), carpet knives, and the like there?

Hell yes they do! But a < 3" closed mini-copperhead is too scary!!

 

[knarfeng]

Your FIL may want to review Sear's corporate policy on "weapons" and safety in the workplace. His boss may not be familiar with the exact limitations. Maybe he is "blade-challenged".

OTOH, at my company we have shears in the shop that will take your finger off at the elbow, but we also have a corporate rule that we are allowed no more than a 2" blade and the opened length of the knife can be no more than 4.5". Since the idiots writing personnel books of major corporations seem to borrow a lot from each other (hey if they were actually creative they would not be writing personnel books), perhaps Sears policy is the same.

 

[GarageBoy]

Wait, Sears used to SELL the Copperheads, etc

 

[3Guardsmen]

As someone who spent almost a decade working in the retail theft investigation (Loss Prevention/Assets Protection) field for some of the more well known retailers, I have seen more than my share of companies' policy handbooks and can tell you that they do tend to "share" corporate policies. Most of them discourage the carry of anything "pointy" by their employees. I personally think it's BS, and that is one of several reasons I left retail and transitioned to the public sector.

Regards,
3G

 

[3Guardsmen]

Wait, Sears used to SELL the Copperheads, etc

Indeed they did! That brings back a rather funny memory for me.

I remember, about fifteen years ago, taking one of my first jobs as a Loss Prevention Agent for a well known, big box retailer. The store I worked at was in a very run down area of town, where car-jackings in our parking lot and robberies of our store were said to outnumber shoplift incidents. This particular retailer prohibited the carry of anything of a "self-defense" nature, meaning that, even as store security, we were prohibited from carrying pepper spray, pocket knives, and so on. On my first day of training at this particular location, my boss spent the first two hours of the day showing me where to locate and how to make improvised weapons from the items we sold. I'll never forget what aisle the axe-handles were on in that store!

Regards,
3G

 

[BigE]

Well, the day a workplace tells me I can't carry a pocketknife on the job is the day I start looking for a different place to work. I always make sure I'm not working for complete idiots.