Recording abusive boss

bigpound

My boss regularly threatens to sack me almost every week. Every time they shout in my face so everyone in the entire company can hear including customers. This has been going on for at least a year now and making me very stressed.

Now they rarely sits down with me in a civil way to talk about what I did wrong, nor has the person given me any performance warnings. I am never taken seriously whenever we do attempt to have a civil chat. It's almost like a big joke to them.

Can I secretly record their outburts of threats, so if they do decide to act on them and dismiss me unfairly, I can use it at an employment tribunal?

And there's no higher person to complain to in this case.

bargainsneeded

not sure if it helps but i am in dispute with my landlord over certain issues and i recored a telephone conversation that can prove if i go to court that this person is a total liar and has put my kids at risk i was like you bothered where i stood legally so i rang the ICO information comissioners office in wilmslow and asked what i was told was that yes i can legally record somebody without telling them because i am a person not a company therefore i do not hold any data protection on anybody and yes i could use this recording to prove my point and i am legal to play it to her boss as she is representing the landlord when she rang me. good luck! ps i used a dictaphone from argos best money i ever did spend.

Caroline_a

Does your boss have a manager? If so, can you lodge a grievance?

ktothema

I wish I'd done this against my old boss. Though she rarely did it in front of people, I needed a device to record the phone calls.

Stephen_Leak

Recording a phone call is, legally, no different to taking verbatim shorthand notes.

If one party (ie. you) knows that the call is being recorded, then there is no requirement to tell the other party.

The message you get when ringing a call centre has to be there because the other party (ie. the agent) doesn't know if the call is being recorded or not. If all calls are recorded, then it's as above.

I have an Olympus VN-240PC digital recorder (which has a USB interface, so the conversation can be downloaded as a ".wav" file), plus a BT plug/socket to 3.5mm mono jack plug adaptor.

PS. When not in use on the phone, the recorder is also very useful for recording things in the car, like the numbers of taxis that cut you up.

DVardysShadow

I would float the suggestion that if this is done too loudly or at too close quarters, you pick up a large envelope or an A4 catalogue or a sheet of cardboard and you hold it up between the 2 of you and you make it clear that you will not take it down until they retreat to a reasonable distance and speak at a reasonable volume.. It will take some doing, but I feel you have to stand up to this person non aggressively.

bigpound

This is face to face, not phone.

VfM4meplse

Is it just you, or others?

Presumably if others can overhear, there are plenty of witnesses?

DVardysShadow wrote: »

I would float the suggestion that if this is done too loudly or at too close quarters, you pick up a large envelope or an A4 catalogue or a sheet of cardboard and you hold it up between the 2 of you and you make it clear that you will not take it down until they retreat to a reasonable distance and speak at a reasonable volume.. It will take some doing, but I feel you have to stand up to this person non aggressively.

Genius idea

ohreally

Bigpound, can you pinpoint what has caused such an appalling loss of respect?

Something has precipitated this, if at one point the relationship was good.

bigpound

They do it to other staff too, they seem to think more shouting & threats = more productivity

m-bee

I think recording people without their knowledge is illegal, even audio.
You may want to read up on it. But if you are going to be their a while longer I'd start a diary of the date and time, what she said and who was there. Then perhaps go and visit a solicitor and find out what can be done. Especially if it is making you want to leave.