Navigating Knife Carrying Laws in Illinois: A Guide for IT Contractors on Bench Direct

There is no doubt that everyone should be prepared for anything when working on-site for a client, and this goes especially for Information Technology Contracting outsourcing firms around the world and their contractors. IT Contractors in the United States and other countries are regularly called on to fix issues that can be technically challenging, potentially dangerous, and require work around sensitive equipment and adjustments to systems. For this and other good reasons complying with the Federal, state, and local laws clients or customers may have is always of supreme importance. This includes developing a full understanding of the regulations regarding knives in Illinois specifically.

Bench Direct always tries to cut through the concerns clients have about their personnel and work conditions and provide straightforward, low-cost, and easy-to-use IT staffing solutions for our clients. Doing this in the face of local laws that may not be well understood or fully accounted for by individual contractors or employees working around the world can add additional layers of complexity and potential liability that must be borne by all parties.

IT Contractors are often tasked with working at remote physical locations, both corporate and otherwise. While working in the United States, it is vital to develop a full understanding of the requirements for that visit. The state of Illinois can be complex to navigate when first facing it, and especially if sudden choices have to be made at the last moment over a seemingly minor item. Many knife types are banned in the state of Illinois while others are allowed with restrictions. How a knife is carried can also impact whether it is illegal or not.

It will probably therefore come as no surprise that knife carrying laws in Illinois can and often will have an impact on the hiring and firing of IT contractors on occasion. It should be noted that there are a number of exceptions to the ban on knife types in Illinois, and from the context it may be that a carrying restriction is liable to be the more common concern that must be managed by a client or IT contractor. To this extent, much like the related laws on weapons possession, IT contractors should be well aware of these legal issues when in Illinois if they are forced to use or carry weapons in the course of their work.

This goes especially for knives if they must be used in day to day tasks, but some cases of weapons carrying restrictions may also apply. The most basic knife type that is allowed to be carried is a blade that can fold, for example a pocket knife. The most common limitation is the length that such an object can be, which is typically three inches or so.

The laws surrounding the carrying of knives and weapons in Illinois are therefore well worth investigating for anyone who may be impacted by them in their day to day work. If there are questions, including where a full list of impacted knife types may be found, then it is useful to refer to the state’s Department of Natural Resources, as well as speak with a lawyer in Illinois who may be able to provide specific guidance and information.

Bench Direct recognises that many of the contractors our clients and partner firms hire may not be fully aware of the local laws and regulations they may be expected to comply with, here in Illinois and elsewhere. As such, IT staffing firms such as Bench Direct can stand to play an important role in identifying and strengthening the compliance positions of their clients by encouraging contractor compliance with any relevant laws.

Violating knife and weapons laws in Illinois can potentially impact upon the ability of a contractor to perform their assignments. If a weapon or knife is found, then a client may have to let a contractor go even if the individual themselves did not know that there was a restriction or outright ban on that item or knife type. This could cost a client significant money in replacement staff. Therefore, it is critical to help educate staff with regards to the general restrictions they may face on item carrying, a task that can be readily accomplished.

When hiring contractors, or when working at client sites or for clients to whom staff are seconded, contractors should endeavor to stay up to date on their local laws and any restrictions imposed both in terms of weaponry. Acquainting yourself with the laws in your area may save you money and avoid trouble in the future.

If you have an interest in learning more about local laws and regulations for IT contractors in both Illinois and beyond, there are a number of useful places to start. You should be sure to check out the resources provided by your local authorities. There are national and state level bodies responsible for collecting and collating information on weapons restrictions that may be of great use to you.

Finding a high quality, comprehensive, well sourced and peer reviewed website dedicated to these kinds of concerns is also a good idea. This will mean you can look up relevant information quickly at any time of the day or night, or if you are located in another time zone and local offices are closed.

This background information can also be combined with speaking with a lawyer on the subject if none of the available resources quite have the answers you need. Finally, you may decide that having lawyers with the appropriate expertise on call is the best course of action. This might be particularly true for a corporation or extensive personal setup, for example, if faced with regular travel and work in a number of different locations.