Perhaps the biggest one is that it exposes business owners to lawsuits over firearm violence on their property—and takes away their rights to set work rules and employment contracts pertaining to firearms, says Wogan S. Badcock III, executive vice president of public affairs for Mulberry-based W.S. Badcock Corp. The company, which has Badcock Home Furniture &more stores in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, North Fort Myers, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda, is a member of the Guns at Work Coalition, organized by the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

"Business owners will still be held accountable for the outcome of workplace violence involving firearms, but will no longer be able to establish rules to keep the workplace safe," he says.

The law, which Gov. Charlie Crist signed April 15, allows people with gun permits to keep their guns locked in their cars on company property, with a few exceptions, such as schools. The law is set to take effect July 1, but it’s being challenged in court. The Florida Retail Federation and Florida Chamber of Commerce filed a lawsuit in federal court contending the law violates the Fifth Amendment and is unconstitutional.

If it stands, not only would companies be exposed to liability, but they would have to bear the costs associated with revising written policies against guns in the workplace or on company property. "You’ve got the time and effort that’s required to have those employee manuals all reprinted. Depending on the size of the company, that could get pretty pricey," says John Dodd, president-elect of the Human Resource Management Association of Southwest Florida.

Another Guns at Work Coalition member, W. Theodore Etzel III, is not sure how the law will actually impact his business, Conditioned Air Corp. of Naples Inc., which currently prohibits firearms on company property. Etzel objects to the principle of the law. "For instance, we have policies against using alcohol on company time, our property [and] such," he says. "Are the distillers all going to get together and tell me I have to allow alcohol at lunchtime on my property?"

Dodd, vice president and group benefit manager in the Naples division of insurance agency Brown & Brown of Florida Inc., recommends that businesses wait to see how the lawsuits play out before making changes to policies or adding security.

His bigger concern is that people who aren’t properly licensed will carry guns to work, believing it won’t make a difference because their cars cannot be searched. It adds another point to the checklist of employee issues that human resource managers must be aware of, Dodd says.

In addition, says Etzel, "potentially frivolous lawsuits" may be brought as a result of the law if, for instance, an employee claims he or she was fired because of possessing a gun at work.

"I see this as larger than just guns. I run a business, and I want to set policies," he says. "If I set policies that employees don’t want to live with, they won’t join my company. If I have policies my customers don’t like, they won’t pay for my services. The marketplace will dictate who wins and who loses."