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Many people are saying that this California Employment Law Blog doesn't spend enough time discussing Mississippi law. Well today that's going to change.
On August 8, 2016, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals overturned a decision saying that a company can fire an at-will employee for having a firearm in his truck in the company parking lot. In Swindol v. Aurora Flight Sciences Corporation, the employer had a rule against bringing a firearm onto company property. When it learned that Swindol had a firearm locked in his truck in the company lot, it terminated his employment.
Swindol sued for wrongful termination relying on section 45-9-55 of the Mississippi Code. That statute generally prohibits employers from having a policy or rule that "has the effect of prohibiting a person from transporting or storing a firearm in a locked vehicle ...." So the court ruled that, under Mississippi law, terminating an at-wil employee for having a gun in his car is unlawful.
How does this affect California employers? It doesn't! We have no such statute here. If an employer wants to prohibit employees from having guns in their cars on company property, it may do so. If an employee breaks that rule, the employer can discipline the person, including termination in appropriate situations. Or, you can transfer them to Mississippi. Take your pick.
Originally published August 10, 2016
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