Employment law.

[MikeLitoris]

I have 1 question..... (as a infrequent user and a virtual stranger to this site) :)

Where would the courts stand, in law, if a person had taken a recording of a boss insisting they installed unlicensed (illegal) software or lose your job if the recording was taken without their knowledge

[Buenchico]

See here:
http://legal-news.ash...ugh-secret-recording/

Chris

[A1Mikey]

As far as I know, if you lost your job because you would not comply and that was the reason for your unfair dismissal, then you could you ask the Tribunal to take the recording into account or (if they refused to allow it to be admitted) you could make the transcript part of your Witness Statement. Having been recently involved with this process, it appears many applicants to the Employment Tribunals have recordings of their bosses (either over the telephone or at a meeting) which are often accepted. Furthermore, if your bosses have already made a Witness Statement to the contrary, then such tape recorded evidence often force the company to settle out of Court. Good Luck!!

[MikeLitoris]

P.s.... I've not lost a job because of it...... but I did have to back down because I'm not sure a secretly recorded conversation (bollocking) is legal. the 60 day trial for office products has given a little breathing space.

[Buenchico]

To impress your employer, by telling them how they can get software which is compatible with Microsoft Office legally and totally free of charge, suggest that they use OpenOffice. (Many local authorities, government departments, police forces and major employers now use it to avoid paying licensing fees to Microsoft):
http://www.openoffice.org/

[MikeLitoris]

open office won't quite cut it here,Chris..

Mark.

[factorfiction]

Disappointed to see you real name is Mark not Mike.
How long have you worked there- more than a year?

[MikeLitoris]

I've worked there for well over a year, FF. closer to about 4, thanks for everyones answers so far.

[murraymints]

If you were to lose your job an employment tribunal would certainly consider the taped evidence...but... you would have to be able to prove that it IS your boss' voice on the tape by somehow leading him to corroborate his identity and to perhaps have a third voice in on the conversation also to prove this is not a sour grape set up job... I used to have input on ET's as a former Dept of Employment manager.. you would be surprised how many disgruntled employees try this but collapse under scrutiny.

[boxtops]

In our organisation, this would come under our Whistleblowing policy - we can report actions such as this (where people are acting unsafely or illegally) without fear of retribution.

[boxtops]

PS - LOL at "infrequent user"..... ;-)

[murraymints]

And he will not inhale of course...LOL....

[China Doll]

Yep, same as boxy I think.... But then we both work for the NHS so not suprising!

Wouldn't this sort of thing go through your HR policies and procedures before any kind of court thing? Just thinking about the logistics of going through with a threat of someone losing their job?

[Casey63]

Let your boss install what he likes as long as you have no part in it, then it will be his a** on the line should MS find out.

[murraymints]

Depends on size of employer...am guessing this is a smallish one trying to cut costs...afraid things very different when you are not so anonymous as an NHS woker within a huge orginisation

[boxtops]

I see your point murraymints, but we in the NHS are governed by soooo many policies and protocols, for the protection of employer and employee. In some ways it's much more protection for us as individuals - I've seen people summarily dismissed but I've also seen people protected for whistleblowing. I don't feel anonymous at all - it may be the third largest employer (after the Chinese Army and the Indian Railways, I believe!) but each of us is identifiable.

[murraymints]

And just where can you find a Chinese soldier when you need one ?

[Hymie]

Report your employer to FAST (Federation Against Software Theft) for unlicenced software use.
See the link here.

http://www.fastiis.or...ment/reportingPiracy/