G
gantos
Guest
My wife works for a national jewelry store chain in Michigan. She attended a store meeting for all employees about 6 months ago. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss store procedures on handling customers. She tape-recorded the meeting because she's a poor note-taker.
Last week the store manager did something that was in direct contrast to one of the mentioned procedures. My wife questioned it and the manager told her it was according to procedure. She said not according to the meeting held 6 months ago. The manager held firm to his position, to which my wife said that he was wrong and she has the tape to prove it because she recorded the meeting.
The manager got angry and said, "You taped me? I could sue you!" (in front of a witness), then told the District Manager, who then called my wife into a private meeting to tell her she's suspended from work and is under investigation due to the tape recorder incident. However, if she were to produce the tape, "it would help her case."
My wife returned home in a panic and in tears and is now in fear that she will lose her job. She called the corporate office to find out if there is a company policy against tape recording meetings and she was told "no." According to Federal and state (Michigan) law, it is perfectly legal for her to tape anything to which she is a participant.
A few days later, they offered to let her keep her job but that they would have to place her in a different store IF she signs a statement agreeing to never tape anything at the store again. Can her work legally suspend her from her job for something that was legal and not in contrast with company policies? Can they make her sign away her rights as a condition of employment?
Last week the store manager did something that was in direct contrast to one of the mentioned procedures. My wife questioned it and the manager told her it was according to procedure. She said not according to the meeting held 6 months ago. The manager held firm to his position, to which my wife said that he was wrong and she has the tape to prove it because she recorded the meeting.
The manager got angry and said, "You taped me? I could sue you!" (in front of a witness), then told the District Manager, who then called my wife into a private meeting to tell her she's suspended from work and is under investigation due to the tape recorder incident. However, if she were to produce the tape, "it would help her case."
My wife returned home in a panic and in tears and is now in fear that she will lose her job. She called the corporate office to find out if there is a company policy against tape recording meetings and she was told "no." According to Federal and state (Michigan) law, it is perfectly legal for her to tape anything to which she is a participant.
A few days later, they offered to let her keep her job but that they would have to place her in a different store IF she signs a statement agreeing to never tape anything at the store again. Can her work legally suspend her from her job for something that was legal and not in contrast with company policies? Can they make her sign away her rights as a condition of employment?