An American Problem

I listened to a webinar today,

One that talked about guns

And anger, hot and unsettling

From employees receiving bad news.

Perhaps a disciplinary action or, worse, termination.

It cautioned employers, be careful, be planned.

Check state laws, they said. Could be legal to have guns in the car.

One quick trip to the parking lot and they could be back inside,

Barging through doors, pulling metal back, releasing wounds and worse.

Have a safety plan just in case. Be prepared.

Flee, fight, or freeze. Staff needs to know what to do.

You need to know what to do. Put it in writing. Make sure everyone knows.

Is this what HR does in the rest of the world?

I know my state's laws, don't even have to check.

I've always known them.

And I shudder to think as now everywhere

Threat looms and waits. Death knocks.

Mass shootings in the workplace are on the rise.

57% percent of shootings happened at work.

Child me could not fathom

Work would be spent reviewing safety protocol,

To prevent an active shooter at the office.

She should have known as she practiced,

Drilled and hunkered in a corner with upturned desks

In dark classrooms where her peers suppressed giggles

Because it still seemed unreal back then.

But it's not. Who knows what's in someone's car.

We were cautioned.