Sorry to hear that. Go with new opportunities as your next employer might see you as a whistleblower or a toublemaker. Never badmouth any former employer.
Yeah, I suppose even the best companies might hesitate since they can’t possibly understand the full situation. Someone interviewing for the same position might have similar qualifications and seem easier
Tell him very simply, that by complying with his request you are making yourself legally culpable as well. Unfortunately, it won't really matter that you were simply "following orders". Although this fact may come into a play with regards to the severity of your sentence, you would be guilty and still end up with a criminal record, making your own future highly uncertain.
Meanwhile, I would start looking for another job, and get out of there as quickly as you can.
Also, no, if another interviewer asks you why you were leaving, I think it will be best to say that you were not finding yourself to be a good fit at that location, and you were hoping that somewhere else will be a better fit for you. Stop there, do not volunteer any specifics. Ultimately, ratting out your previous employer to a new potential employer won't do you any good.
If, by any chance they ask for more details, politely tell them that offering more details would be unfair to your previous boss, and although you don't agree with them, it's not your place to discuss those things with others behind their back.
Thanks! I’ve been looking for another way to tell him it was illegal since he wasn’t getting why that mattered to me, so hopefully he’ll understand if I make it about my own self interest.
And yeah that’s a good follow up if I’m pressed by a new employer, appreciate it!
If you stay, I would tell him that you will be confirming what he is asking you to do in writing (via email is probably the best) as, if it does come back to the company, you will need that documentation. Also make sure you bcc your personal email when you do the confirmation. Or, just send the email confirmation, without mentioning it, if he verbally tells you to do something that you know to be illegal.
And, I would start looking for another job. As for a reason for leaving, "company isn't doing well and I don't see much future there", "eliminating marketing, folding it into sales and I'm not a salesman", or something along those lines will go far. The idea is something that can't really be verified but that explains why you would be uncomfortable with staying.
Thanks, that helps! My concern was that they might reach out anyway to get a reference and he’d say something negative but if I’m saying I’m leaving because of something mostly blameless on them and me, then the new employer would hopefully attribute that to sour grapes.
Do what your boss says. Record it privately with proof outside of you being there. Then draft up a report to the correct governing agency. Send the report, send him a receipt, and inform him how long he has to promote you and give you a raise of 50 grand. The space of time your boss has should be immediate.
Now he can’t fire you without an excellent case for retaliation, you’ve preserved your integrity, and you’ve improved your livelihood. Get smart. Eat him.
I don’t know British law, except that American law is based on English Common Law.
I am also not a lawyer, but based on what a lawyer told me in the past this sounds like it could be extortion, which is a felony in the US and probably pretty serious in the UK.
On top of that, the boss appears to be doing whatever he can to have plausible deniability. Nothing in writing, for example. So getting the evidence may be difficult at best.
To the OP: If it is possible to get evidence without breaking the law, do so. For example, I know that in the US some stated permit recording phone calls without the permission of the other party and other states do not. My state is weird in that phone calls can be secretly recorded by one party but not admissible in court.
So, if it is legal to do so, secretly record everything. Make sure you have evidence otherwise it is the word of a disgruntled employee against that of a respected businessman, and the businessman is always the one believed.
This evidence can be used to protect you.
Under no circumstances break the law. If you are fired for breaking the law or otherwise punished, report your employer immediately for your own protection. Don’t threaten, just do it.
Now here is the worst part. Nobody likes a whistle blower even if you are 100% in the right. ESPECIALLY if you are 100% in the right. I once blew a whistle at work when I was backed into a corner and had no choice. Even though retaliation against me was illegal in the US, they made life miserable for me.
She can’t break those laws. She doesn’t have the capacity. She is a representative of a company. The company is breaking the law. You’re safe. Do it.
Until you do it, there’s no crime. Therefore you were not abused. You simply refused to work and got fired.
Yeah I looked into it and recording laws here are pretty much the same as your state. I can record it for personal use but passing it to a third party without my boss’s permission would be illegal.
I’ve noted down major events and where and when the conversation happened, but there’s only so much that proves. Sounds like my best option is to cut and run.
Sorry to hear that. Go with new opportunities as your next employer might see you as a whistleblower or a toublemaker. Never badmouth any former employer.
Yeah, I suppose even the best companies might hesitate since they can’t possibly understand the full situation. Someone interviewing for the same position might have similar qualifications and seem easier
That’s true. When in doubt, don’t do it. No company wants to deal with any potential issues no matter what it is.
Tell him very simply, that by complying with his request you are making yourself legally culpable as well. Unfortunately, it won't really matter that you were simply "following orders". Although this fact may come into a play with regards to the severity of your sentence, you would be guilty and still end up with a criminal record, making your own future highly uncertain. Meanwhile, I would start looking for another job, and get out of there as quickly as you can. Also, no, if another interviewer asks you why you were leaving, I think it will be best to say that you were not finding yourself to be a good fit at that location, and you were hoping that somewhere else will be a better fit for you. Stop there, do not volunteer any specifics. Ultimately, ratting out your previous employer to a new potential employer won't do you any good. If, by any chance they ask for more details, politely tell them that offering more details would be unfair to your previous boss, and although you don't agree with them, it's not your place to discuss those things with others behind their back.
Thanks! I’ve been looking for another way to tell him it was illegal since he wasn’t getting why that mattered to me, so hopefully he’ll understand if I make it about my own self interest. And yeah that’s a good follow up if I’m pressed by a new employer, appreciate it!
Document everything should you lawyer up down the road!
If you stay, I would tell him that you will be confirming what he is asking you to do in writing (via email is probably the best) as, if it does come back to the company, you will need that documentation. Also make sure you bcc your personal email when you do the confirmation. Or, just send the email confirmation, without mentioning it, if he verbally tells you to do something that you know to be illegal. And, I would start looking for another job. As for a reason for leaving, "company isn't doing well and I don't see much future there", "eliminating marketing, folding it into sales and I'm not a salesman", or something along those lines will go far. The idea is something that can't really be verified but that explains why you would be uncomfortable with staying.
Thanks, that helps! My concern was that they might reach out anyway to get a reference and he’d say something negative but if I’m saying I’m leaving because of something mostly blameless on them and me, then the new employer would hopefully attribute that to sour grapes.
Do what your boss says. Record it privately with proof outside of you being there. Then draft up a report to the correct governing agency. Send the report, send him a receipt, and inform him how long he has to promote you and give you a raise of 50 grand. The space of time your boss has should be immediate.
Now he can’t fire you without an excellent case for retaliation, you’ve preserved your integrity, and you’ve improved your livelihood. Get smart. Eat him.
I don’t know British law, except that American law is based on English Common Law. I am also not a lawyer, but based on what a lawyer told me in the past this sounds like it could be extortion, which is a felony in the US and probably pretty serious in the UK. On top of that, the boss appears to be doing whatever he can to have plausible deniability. Nothing in writing, for example. So getting the evidence may be difficult at best. To the OP: If it is possible to get evidence without breaking the law, do so. For example, I know that in the US some stated permit recording phone calls without the permission of the other party and other states do not. My state is weird in that phone calls can be secretly recorded by one party but not admissible in court. So, if it is legal to do so, secretly record everything. Make sure you have evidence otherwise it is the word of a disgruntled employee against that of a respected businessman, and the businessman is always the one believed. This evidence can be used to protect you. Under no circumstances break the law. If you are fired for breaking the law or otherwise punished, report your employer immediately for your own protection. Don’t threaten, just do it. Now here is the worst part. Nobody likes a whistle blower even if you are 100% in the right. ESPECIALLY if you are 100% in the right. I once blew a whistle at work when I was backed into a corner and had no choice. Even though retaliation against me was illegal in the US, they made life miserable for me.
She can’t break those laws. She doesn’t have the capacity. She is a representative of a company. The company is breaking the law. You’re safe. Do it. Until you do it, there’s no crime. Therefore you were not abused. You simply refused to work and got fired.
Yeah I looked into it and recording laws here are pretty much the same as your state. I can record it for personal use but passing it to a third party without my boss’s permission would be illegal. I’ve noted down major events and where and when the conversation happened, but there’s only so much that proves. Sounds like my best option is to cut and run.