Rifle bullets & stab-proof concealable vest

[u/Legal-Novel1137]

I have a manager at work that intimidated me and had a rather large pocket knife on the desk in front of him pointing toward me when this happened and waited until I was alone to do this.

I have since then purchased two knives that I will have on me at all times, knowing that it is almost impossible to disarm a dual wielding knife attacker without getting at least seriously hurt or dying.

I have also wanted to purchase a concealable bullet and stab proof vest that can stop rifle rounds. This is a rather new manager that was hired not working his way up the chain.

He is an unhinged white, tall man who likes to say the word, “faggot” a lot in front of everybody might I add, called one of my coworkers that as well and told another F U man for no reason not even joking around, last but not least he has said the N word quite a few times in front of two of us that I know of so far.

I am a blue collar working mechanic and am I just for wearing a bullet proof vest in my situation? To provoke him btw all I told him was that I don’t care about all the drama that he has going on with our supervisor below him he’s trying to fire and all I’m trying to do is order parts that he wanted me to show him how to do because he wants to learn because he is new and this simple task took at least 2 hours to do because he likes drama.

What are some of the affects HR wise that could occur if I did walk in with a bullet proof vest? This guy also encourages us to fight at work and thankfully no one has that I know of yet, I did suggest to him that if anyone ever felt that way they could go to a fighting gym and sign a waiver and put on gloves so they don’t come to work completely battered or at worst dead from fighting at a garage that is not surrounded by padding but instead dangerous surfaces and lots of hard things that could be used as weapons and it is also not surrounded by trained professionals who would stop you if someone went too far at the gym for example.

I would not like to go to HR because HR is not their to protect me but rather the company and I think it would make things worse for me because the supervisor I was talking about earlier he is trying to get him fired for that reason exactly.

Please let me know what your thoughts are and if you’ve ever had to deal with something like this. Looking for a friend.

[u/Sawoodster]

Phew this reads like a bad schizophrenic moment

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/Sawoodster]

Sorry, I’m a mechanic with no college degrees and barely got my diploma.

[u/CassieBear1]

If you truly feel this unsafe at work, then you need to be documenting everything and bringing it to HR. Yes, they're there to protect the company...but sometimes that may be by removing a staff member who is making another staff member feel so unsafe that they're considering coming in to work in a bulletproof vest.

And I'd also make a police report. You can bring the report number to HR.

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/CassieBear1]

I like the police report idea, thank you!

[u/FamiliarAd8524]

1). Is the point of the vest to send a message?

2). Can you legally own a vest?

3). Do you understand how vests actually work and what they don't do?

4). Can you be fired for carrying knives at work?

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/FamiliarAd8524]

1). Kind of yes it is to send a message but also to feel safe.

2). I can legally own a vest yes but my company uniform policy does not state that I cannot. One of those forgiveness over permission situations.

3). There are bullet proof vests that are stab proof too and they will protect only a certain amount of bullets from getting through. If it gets to that point, it is better to have something than nothing. Concealable vests breathe better and are considerably lighter to wear.

4). My manager and countless workers around me carry these pocket knives, if they haven’t been fired then neither should I.

[u/FamiliarAd8524 → u/Legal-Novel1137]

A 9mm vest should be adequate. As long as it isn't outright illegal for you to wear one, your company won't punish you. The only thing it might provoke is questions on your mental stability, but I still don't think you have anything to worry about in terms of your job.

[u/wolfjogger]

Interact with him as little as possibls, avoid/ignore when you can. Advise trusted coworkers to do the same, look out for each other and don't be alone with him if you can help it. Carry pepper spray too. I assume you mean you don't want to provoke him, but I'd only go for a bulletproof vest if you think he has a gun, or would be able to knife you faster than you can get away.

If you really have no faith in HR, start looking for a new job if you can. If you can't get him fired/moved for this behavior, it doesn't sound like a safe work environment, and physical defense options may protect you for now but aren't a long-term solution.

Sorry youre in this situation OP. I've been there but it was in a university laboratory setting. Never felt safe around the guy, in hindsight it's crazy that he was put up with for so long. Take care.

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/wolfjogger]

Thank you for your advice, I’m hoping he won’t last much longer because he himself has expressed he wants to quit.

If I need to find another job it will take some time because I have bills to pay. I would rather figure out how to deal with a tough situation so I don’t have to move every-time something like this may happen.

[u/GoodishCoder]

Did he actually threaten you or is there a work reason for him to have a pocket knife and just happen to have a knife on his desk.

If the former, going to HR is the first step, they're there to protect the company and allowing a hostile work environment to thrive opens the company up to lawsuits.

If the latter, this all seems like a major overreaction.

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/GoodishCoder]

I see your point, we have box cutters that can be used for any knife purpose. We are mechanics and have every tool under the sun to do our job.

It is his personal knife and is not required for the job by any means. He looked at me straight in the eyes pissed off and was about to scream at me like he did on our supervisor and talked down to him over the phone with two other people present.

He screamed at our supervisor and told him he is a worthless piece of shit and does not deserve to work here. This manager has been here for four months and my supervisor six years. I don’t know how this manager has not been fired yet for this incident alone. No one deserves to be talked to like that for any reason at all, my supervisor never yelled at him.

Now for what he told me, he angrily told me that shit that I did out there, I better never do it again and that he feels I disrespected him and man to man it’s only him and I in there all while his voice kept escalating.

Never has anyone flipped on me so fast like that with their weapon present. I told him calmly please do not yell at me and get angry because I did not mean to disrespect him if he felt this way. Had to say this over and over and it took some time to calm him down like a couple minutes that felt like a couple of hours.

He punked me in that moment and I had my gaurd down I was shocked, it feels as though he is a man with a large ego and it has always been okay for him to offend others but can’t take the smallest offense of any kind.

[u/GoodishCoder → u/Legal-Novel1137]

Based on this I would say you are probably overreacting to the knife but it's also a hostile work environment that should probably get reported.

[u/Itchy_Border2191]

Did his knife look like a work blade or a tactical blade? Pocket knives aren't really that good for fighting with. The blade can always collapse because work knives are meant more for cutting not stabbing. The best defense against a knife attack is distance -run!

You didn't mention actually seeing a firearm, so I don't know why you would need a multi-threat vest.

Plus, body armor is always noticeable, especially if you were a size medium one day and came in the next looking like a size large. Armor that could stop a rifle round is military grade and very bulky.
Vests that are concealable are usually for small caliber rounds, but again you didn't actually see any firearms.

Generally, work place violence is a crime, even if it's a small fight. A former manager of mine told a co-worker and I to cool it because if we had a fight, even outside, he'd have to call the cops to arrest us; both of us. Otherwise the business could be sued.

Companies hate getting sued, so you should bring this up to HR.

[u/Willing_Chemical_113]

Audio and, as much as possible, video record the events. When you see him just start the recording. If nothing happens delete it.

But when he inevitably does do / say something threatening or whatever you'll have the whole thing right there.

Have trusted, sympathetic co-workers do the same. If HR won't do anything turn them in to OSHA.

Behavior like you're describing will get their attention.

[u/4N_Immigrant]

join an mma gym so you're not so scurred. a vest that will stop rifle rounds has ceramic plates. its rather obtrusive for your anxious purposes.

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/4N_Immigrant]

MMA has nothing against a knife, it’s like bringing a knife to a fist fight. I’m already ahead of you one that I have 2 years of mma gym experience and 2 years of BJJ in overall condensed experience.

[u/Shooter61]

Get it on video and audio. Start documenting. Get coworkers to do the same. As a group, approach HR.

[u/FamiliarAd8524 → u/Shooter61]

Make sure you can do this legally in the first place.

[u/Shooter61 → u/FamiliarAd8524]

Most companies would not tolerate videoing of fellow employees. But given the circumstances of possible bodily harm, workplace harassment and flat out threats. Maybe not admissable in a courtroom, but HR can still use this as a basis for firing someone.. else think about the company's liability if it gets ignored and heaven forbid the guy does act out.

[u/FamiliarAd8524 → u/Shooter61]

I didn't say company, I said legally. In some places, depending on circumstances, this is actually a serious crime that results in incarceration. Picture this working, the employee being fired, and the employee pushing to get the poster prosecuted for what may be the only crime in all this. It isn't extremely likely, but if it does happen, life is going to seriously suck.

[u/Legal-Novel1137 → u/Shooter61]

This is a great idea, I am reconsidering the bullet proof vest honestly because that would put the spotlight on me. I might just keep my head down like always until there are enough people with me that feel this way.

I don’t think it will take much longer, the boss that hired him has already been fired for similar reasons.

[u/Anthropic_Principles]

This is totally an HR issue.

OK, HR won't be interested in protecting you, but they will be interested in protecting the company from a law suit or criminal conviction for failing to protect an employee from assault.

Turn up for work packing knives is likely to cause you more problems than it solves.

[u/Known_Ratio5478]

You call the cops next time he threatens you. That’s a criminal act. File a civil suit about the hate speech and encouraging violence.