Secret Recordings of Office Conversation

[maowang]

I am pretty sure my supervisor is secretly recording the foreign office conversations to use for her own intel and blackmail purposes. She is not a party of these private discussions.

Anyone know the legality of this?

[petrarch1603]

What's your proof? When you're in the office just watch what you say.

[maowang]

The guy alluded to some "sources". He keeps trying to bait people into talking shit about management. Creepy.

[StuartCa]

Don't say anything about anyone that you wouldn't want repeated unless you're 100% sure no one is around to hear. Office politics 101.

If you have proof it's probably illegal, but so what, many things are illegal and it costs too much to do anything about it.

[pqkdzrwt]

My understanding based on some reports on forumosa, is that if what you are doing is something illegal recordings are admissible in court.

ie if you are "publicly insulting" the managers they can take you to court.

If what you are doing/saying is not illegal then I doubt you have much to worry about.

[baberenglish]

'Secret' recording devices are deemed inadmissible in court. But to your employer, if they hear something by someone trying to rat you out, then they have enough means to fire you-legal or not. You sound a tad paranoid about your workmates. Find a hobby, don't think so much of the office.

[pqkdzrwt]

'Secret' recording devices are deemed inadmissible in court. But to your employer, if they hear something by someone trying to rat you out, then they have enough means to fire you-legal or not. You sound a tad paranoid about your workmates. Find a hobby, don't think so much of the office.

We are not talking about the US here, we are talking about Taiwan. I cant find them right now, but there have been several reports on forumosa in the past where "secret" recordings have been used as evidence in a court case.

On top of this, when was the last time that you saw a sign when you walk into an establishment saying you are being recorded? In Australia such signs are required, in Taiwan the appear not to be, meaning anyone can setup a camera anywhere and record anything. I think it would be wise for someone who is not in their own home to behave as if their behavior is being recorded (because it probably is).

[baberenglish]

If you say so.....

[Mick]

I raised a similar point in a thread about mobile providers. Here

Basically the phone company was saying a recording they made (without our knowledge) formed a contract, although the details were completely different to our recollection of the conversation that happened two months prior. They were polite enough, but we couldn't make out much when the recording was played back and they refused to send us a copy and in the end dropped the charges they were going to ask to pay.

But raises the question, this is a fairly large mobile company, how can they claim a conversation recorded without consent forms a legally binding contract when as you say its inadmissible in court? You would think they would know the local laws.

[maowang]

Well... two or three of us independently came to the same conclusion and our supervisor has been a bully and a tyrant. I was threatened not to take the matter to her boss. Imagine an office version of White Terror playing out. Everyone is afraid to ask questions. The woman may be showing traits of a personality disorder or mental instability.