A Large Corporation Bought Out The Business He Worked For, So When Things Started Going Downhill Fast, He Made Sure He Knew The Rules And Then Protected Himself

When you work for a great company in a job that you love, it can be heartbreaking when a large corporation buys the company out and starts making lots of changes. What would you do if the new company started harassing everyone and giving them problems whenever they want to take some personal time off? That is what happened to the researcher in this story, so he recorded the call and made sure everyone knew what they were doing was not legal, so they finally left him alone.

A Personal Story of Resistance

I used to work as a researcher in an in-bound call center. I loved the work, and the company was FANTASTIC when I started. But after 4 years, they got bought out by a big international corp (a pretty standard hack and slash corp = buy up a profitable company, strip it of all assets, cut costs, slash quality, make good money until our well-deserved fantastic reputation is destroyed).

The new management was determined to squeeze every last drop of productivity from their employees. They implemented policies that were designed to control the behavior of workers, to monitor them closely and identify any potential dissenters. One of these policies was the use of Personal Time Off (PTO), a right that is protected by law in many jurisdictions.

But when I tried to exercise this right, things took a turn for the worse. The management would not allow me to take PTO without having to justify my absence, and if I did try to explain why I needed time off, they would make my life difficult and attempt to intimidate me into agreeing with their demands.

The Recording That Changed Everything

So when the management threatened to fire me for exercising my right to take PTO, I knew I had to do something. I recorded a call with one of my managers, in which she was being particularly aggressive and threatening. The recording showed her making comments that were completely unacceptable and unprofessional.

I played the recording back to our HR representative, Art, who was sent to deal with me. At first, he tried to deny that I had recorded the call, but when it became clear that I had done so, he admitted defeat. He was visibly angry, but I stood my ground and explained to him that I had a right to record our conversation.

The Consequences of Standing Up

Art tried to intimidate me into thinking I had violated the law with an illegal recording. But I told him that I had done my research, and single-party consent is all that was required. He knew he lost this battle, and eventually, he backed down.

The management's behavior towards me changed dramatically after that incident. They became much more precise and professional in their requests for PTO, and they stopped trying to intimidate or bully me into doing what they wanted. I had successfully stood up for my rights, and I was able to continue working without being treated unfairly.

A Lesson in Empowerment

This story is a reminder that we all have the power to stand up for our rights and fight against unfair treatment at work. If you are facing similar challenges at your job, know that you are not alone. There are laws and regulations in place to protect workers like you, and if you are willing to take action, you can make a difference.