Technology and the Whistleblower

As the meeting comes to a close, your boss smirks with an self

assured arrogance. He then says that you should seriously

consider his offer, because he has it on good authority, that

there may be a very localized downsizing in your department.

Wouldn't it be nice to smirk back and just say "no thanks".



This scenario, Telephone Recorders, plays out more often then most people realize.



With all of the recent business and government scandals there

were a lot of people who knew that books were being cooked,, Telephone Recorders, laws

being broken and the health of the public being put at risk,

just to keep profits high and investors content.



Many people

felt that there was nothing they could do against powerful

executives and corrupt bureaucrats. The credibility of a low

level employee compared to that of a 'successful' corporate

executive is a huge hurdle to overcome. Also, corporate lawyers

are there to defend the company, even from internal hazards. So,

once a person decides to speak up, they must be prepared to have

their credibility brutally attacked and the onslaught of legal

preceding from, Telephone Recorders, an all-star team of corporate lawyers.



Just the thought of legal proceedings can stop a person from

making the ethical choice. It's easy for people to be vilified

by their employer, at which point the credibility of the person

speaking out is destroyed.



How is possible for a single person

to fight a company or government, Telephone Recorders, with infinite resources? Many

years ago, it was practically impossible.



However, the "digital

revolution" may have changed the balance of power. For a

"whistleblower" to be effective they need proof of wrong doing

and a method to communicate those issues to the public. The

availability of compact electronic devices such as digital audio

recorders and digital cameras allow an individual to document

many of the issues and bring the power back to the

whistleblower.



The first piece of technology that should be in every

whistleblowers repertoire is a digital audio recorder.



These

devices are so small that they can be put in a shirt pocket

without being noticed. Once you decide to "blow the whistle" you

should start recording all of your conversations. Keep a log of

the items discussed, so that you can refer to the appropriate

recording when needed, otherwise you can spend hours going back

over the content. The best part is that these devices are not

expensive. A digital voice recorder costs about $100, or many

times MP3 players, Telephone Recorders, have a microphone built into the device, so

they can be used to record conversations, Telephone Recorders, .



Another device that is very handy is a voice modem with

telephone recording software. This will allow you to, hook up

your phone, and record any conversations that occur over the

phone.



If you get fired before you have all the evidence,

sometimes telephone conversations, with the people in power, can

help to document important facts, because people very rarely

think they are being recorded and say things that they probably

should not have.



Make sure you check your local laws regarding conversation

recording. In most places it is legal to record with one-party

consent. One-party consent means that if you are involved in the

conversation, you do not need to notify the other parties that

you are recording the conversation.



In Canada, one-party consent

is the law. In the United States it is a little more

complicated, as some states have their own regulations. You can

refer to this recording

law chart to determine what laws affect you. If in doubt,

speak with a lawyer.



The third device every whistleblower should have is a digital

camera. Many times the violations are in manufacturing or

packaging, which could be a public health concern. These can be

very hard to document and prove, since the paper records may be

manipulated.



A picture says a thousand words though, and will

help authorities uncover doctored documents. When taking

pictures be very cautious as most companies prohibit camera's on

their premises. Many cell phones are now equipped with digital

camera's, so they are easier to conceal. Take as many pictures

as you can and try, Telephone Recorders, to prove the date you took them.



Some camera

have a date stamp feature, even though this is easy to

manipulate. The best option is to take a picture of the daily

newspaper beside the offending subject. This is very hard for

lawyers to argue against and disprove that the violations

happened on that particular date.



The last piece of equipment needed is, Telephone Recorders, a computer.



When the

authorities begin investigating your complaint, you will need to

produce your evidence such as documents pointing to the issues.

Most corporations are moving towards a paperless environment,

which means that these documents will only be accessible by a

computer. The other important part your computer plays, is to

backup all of those images and audio recordings. Make sure your

computer has a CD writer or DVD writer. Take these backups and

put them somewhere secure, like a bank deposit box.



One area of concern, Telephone Recorders, is the removal of corporate documents from

the office. This can violate many legal agreements you may have

signed.



If you are worried about this, there is a very simple

solution. Backup all of the evidence files, Telephone Recorders, at work and stash

them somewhere in the office.



In the ceiling or in duct work is

a great place. Basically, anywhere nobody ever looks. When it is

time to produce these documents, simply tell the authorities

that you have stashed them in a safe place at the office. The

evidence is kept safe and you haven't violated any agreements, a

win-win situation.



In the future, companies may begin banning digital devices from

the workplace for the exact reasons being discussed here.

However, if were are persistent, it may go the other way and

corporate behaviour may change, which is the ultimate goal of

being a whistleblower.



The days of "plausible deniability" and

"disgruntled employees", Telephone Recorders, are disappearing quickly.



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