In 2004, Oklahoma passed a law forbidding employers from disciplining employees who keep firearms locked in cars parked on company property.

A group of businesses sued, claiming the law threatened workplace safety. A court agreed and overturned the law, ruling it violated the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act, which gives employers a “general duty” to keep workplaces safe.

But that decision was overturned on appeal. The appeals court ruled that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has never claimed that allowing firearms on company property would violate the OSH Act. Therefore, there is no conflict between the state and federal law.

So-called “guns at work” laws are one of the latest trends in state employment legislation. Florida and Georgia have already passed similar legislation, and bills are being considered in Tennessee, Arizona and Texas. We’ll keep you posted.

Cite: Ramsey Winch, Inc. v. Henry

Last month, Louisiana passed legislation similar to controversial laws in Florida and Georgia. It prohibits employers from making policies against workers storing guns in locked cars while they’re at work.

It does give companies a little more leeway than other states’, though. Louisiana employers can mandate that guns be kept hidden from plain sight or locked in a container inside the car.

Also, the law doesn’t apply if parking lots are fenced off, guarded by security or otherwise restrict general public access, and employers are allowed to create an alternate parking area where cars with guns must be kept.

More states are considering similar bills (Arizona and Tennessee, for example). We’ll keep you posted as the trend progresses.

Just a few days after the new rule took effect, a Disney World security guard was fired after he wouldn’t let the company search his car for firearms (the law prohibits employers from searching cars for guns).

Also, the company e-mailed all employees, telling them it was exempt from the law based on an exception for employers that handle explosives (the park has a lot of fireworks).

The state attorney general’s gotten several complaints from employees, which may prompt legal action. We’ll keep you posted.

The ruling: For the most part, the law will stand.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle took up the case after business groups challenged the rule. When testimony began in June, he called the law “stupid.”

Nonetheless, he upheld the provision allowing employees to keep legally-owned guns locked in their cars at work.

However, he ruled that companies were free to keep customers and other visitors from bringing firearms onto their property.

The parties have until August 19 to appeal. We’ll keep you posted.

Georgia now joins Florida in protecting the rights of gun owners in workplace parking lots.

Similar to Florida’s law, the Georgia statue prohibits employers from banning the presence of firearms kept in employees’ locked cars. Employers also cannot search vehicles for weapons, unless they have reason to believe there’s an immediate threat of violence.

Unlike Florida’s law, this statue includes some welcome protections for employers:

• Companies can’t be held liable for gun violence they didn’t know would happen or couldn’t have prevented, and
• Employees can’t sue privately for violations of the law.

A so-called “parking lot law” is also in the works in Tennessee. Oklahoma passed a law last year that was shot down by the state Supreme Court. The issue’s gotten a lot of press lately, and employment law experts say more states are likely to weigh in, too. We’ll keep you posted.

Read more about Georgia’s law here.