PERSPECTIVES ON TELEPHONE MONITORING : Even on Speakerphones, Callers Should Be Told

A normal practice for many executives while speaking on the phone is to ask the secretary to take notes to be able to verify just his or her end of the conversation, in case of a challenge concerning what was said. In no way should conversations be recorded without the other party knowing it. Even on speakerphones, people I’ve worked for have always told the other party who was in the office with them.

I have on occasion taken notes of my employer’s side of the conversation because the employer was dealing with someone who might come back and say, “You never said that,” for instance in a grievance issue. Even this has only happened a few times, and I’ve been a secretary for 25 years in schools, law firms and now the union.