Omarosa taped her dismissal from the White House, and that's legal in most states — but some lawyers say you still shouldn't do it

pulse

August 22, 2018 7:18 PM

Former White House aide Omarosa Manigault Newman released a recording she said documented the White House chief of staff John Kelly firing her. Workplace attorneys and human resource experts told Business Insider that they strongly recommended against recording in the workplace.

Former White House aide
Workplace attorneys and human resource experts told Business Insider that recording at the workplace is "not a very good thing to do."
However, it is legal in 38 states and the District of Columbia.

Omarosa Manigault Newman John Kelly

After this whole Omarosa incident, a lot of companies are going to be adopting new policies on [workplace recording],"

Is it legal?

Is it common?

While recordings have become common in Trump's White House, workplace experts say these recordings only really pop up during the most contentious conversations, like whistleblower cases.

Delikat said his firm usually sees unauthorized recordings from employees who want to make a case against the company later on.

Is it smart?

It may be legal in your state to record a conversation, but it doesn't mean you'll be safe at your job if you're recording conversations. There may be company policies against making secret records, and asking for permission to record conversations communicates distrust.

"It's not a very good thing to do," Ennico told Business Insider. "You only do it in very limited situations, like in whistleblowing cases."

Instead, think of recording conversations as a last-resort choice — for cases where you need to call attention to illegal behavior like insider trading or sexual harassment.

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