House kills bill that would prevent employers from demanding your facebook passwords

[WPDeac]

Personally against the principle of requesting employer access to private data... even if some think it is only "semi-private".

That said, one of the first things I do when considering a potential new-hire is a social media scrub, to see what is out there. It is amazing how many young folks don't understand privacy settings. What's worse is I interviewed a recent graduate from UCF about two years ago for a research assistant position... checked his FB, nothing to see there, but a quick Google search took me to his girlfriends FB page where he was tagged in all these pictures that were less than flattering from a professional standpoint.

However, at the end of the day, the interview, transcript, work experience and references carry way more weight to me than stuff on FB. Perhaps I remember my own college experiences at Wake in the early 90s...

 

[Deadbolt]

can't believe there are this many people who are ok with allowing employers to do this

+1

It's like being in an interview and having the interviewer ask you to take out and empty the contents of your wallet so they can see what's in there. It's just an end around way to get information they can't legally ask you. This will eventually be illegal, because lawsuits are going to abound because of this sort of thing.

 

[DeaconSig]

can't believe there are this many people who are ok with allowing employers to do this

In all fairness, its just bid, who everyone pretty much accepts as a moron at this point. RChildress has at least stated he thinks it is illegal.

 

[RicoSuave]

In all fairness, its just bid, who everyone pretty much accepts as a moron at this point. RChildress has at least stated he thinks it is illegal.

I'm not "OK with it" because I don't demand passwords of my employees. But I can see how some employers would feel a need to do so in security-sensitive positions. I just think that employees have options, and those options include the right not to work for a jerk. Thats just common sense and doesn't require the intervention of Big Government dictating it.

 

[BeachBumDeac]

Employees don't have a ton of options in this economy. They may feel coerced to turn over their passwords in order to put food on the table for their family. The practice should absolutely be illegal so that people aren't put in the position of choosing between their privacy and their family's wellbeing

 

[RicoSuave]

Employees don't have a ton of options in this economy. They may feel coerced to turn over their passwords in order to put food on the table for their family. The practice should absolutely be illegal so that people aren't put in the position of choosing between their privacy and their family's wellbeing

Really? I have many friends who seamlessly transfer from one company to another. And now unemployement benefits have been extended to 2 full years. And even after that runs out, theres food stamps and free Obama-phones. I don't think anybody is going to starve here; its a bad thing for someone to lose their job, but its merely hyperbole to claim that there will be no "food on the table" if someone values Facebook more importantly than their career.

 

[Baconwfu]

Employees don't have a ton of options in this economy. They may feel coerced to turn over their passwords in order to put food on the table for their family. The practice should absolutely be illegal so that people aren't put in the position of choosing between their privacy and their family's wellbeing

First of all, I bet when this all shakes out it is going to be illegal unless a company can show that it can reasonably justify the invasion of privacy. How fast would a company get sued if they didn't hire someone, or fired someone who wouldn't give over their facebook password.....it would be a millisecond...less than that and even if they didn't think they'd lose, they'd probably settle just so they didn't have to deal with the legal hassle.
Again, I can sympathize with the coersion thing, but it just doesn't hold water. People can do whatever the heck they want.
I'm salaried and my boss could make me start working 80 hours a week for no extra money....I could feel "coerced" into doing that to keep food on the table or I could tell him no, I'm not doing that, or I could quit.
There aren't many successful companies that wouldn't hire the right person because he/she didn't give their facebook password over.

 

[WakeandBake]

Are there cases where business has been lost because an employee of a company posted something on Facebook that 'embarrassed' the company? This is really happening in business?

I've never seen it or heard of it and I work for a corporation and make deals with other corporations and individuals all the time. Everyone I know and talk to is employed somewhere and this has never come up as a problem doing business.

I have nothing to hide on my FB page, but I would not work for a company that felt this was necessary to do business. Drug testing and credit checks go to far IMO.

 

[DeaconSig]

Really? I have many friends who seamlessly transfer from one company to another. And now unemployement benefits have been extended to 2 full years. And even after that runs out, theres food stamps and free Obama-phones. I don't think anybody is going to starve here; its a bad thing for someone to lose their job, but its merely hyperbole to claim that there will be no "food on the table" if someone values Facebook more importantly than their career.

So you would rather someone be on unemployment than have a job?

 

[RicoSuave]

So you would rather someone be on unemployment than have a job?

Of course not. But they're going to have "food on the table" regardless of whether they value their job or they value Facebook more.

 

[WakeandBake]

pussification of corporate america.

Some of the best employees Ive had and worked with drink and party and fuck and do embarrassing things.

 

[blackgold]

If you even have a Facebook account, you'd better be a woman, or at least some kind of Liberace-type guy. Facebook is for drama queens only.

 

[Liquid Karma]

pussification of corporate america.

Some of the best employees Ive had and worked with drink and party and fuck and do embarrassing things.

Those are the ones who get all the distractions out of their system in their free time and come into work on Monday ready to go.

Love employees who have a non-mundane life outside of work.

 

[BobStackFan4Life]

Fuck. 1984 is closer than we think.

 

[EatLeadCommie]

Just tell them to fuck off and walk out of the interview. Better yet, delete your FB account or create a fake one if you're doing job interviews.

It is appalling that they'd ask for this information. Absolutely ridiculous. It's like wanting access to your e-mail, or to your diary, or to any number of things. FB is meant for your friends, not your coworkers. And I don't know about you, but I tend to keep work and friendships separate.

Now if they can access your FB because you don't have any privacy settings on it, that's another matter entirely. If you've chosen to make an ass of yourself to the public, they can choose to factor that into their hiring decision.

 

[legacyfan]

Just tell them to fuck off and walk out of the interview. Better yet, delete your FB account or create a fake one if you're doing job interviews.

It is appalling that they'd ask for this information. Absolutely ridiculous. It's like wanting access to your e-mail, or to your diary, or to any number of things. FB is meant for your friends, not your coworkers. And I don't know about you, but I tend to keep work and friendships separate.

Now if they can access your FB because you don't have any privacy settings on it, that's another matter entirely. If you've chosen to make an ass of yourself to the public, they can choose to factor that into their hiring decision.

I agree with everything in this post.

 

[WFFaithful]

Just tell them to fuck off and walk out of the interview. Better yet, delete your FB account or create a fake one if you're doing job interviews.

It is appalling that they'd ask for this information. Absolutely ridiculous. It's like wanting access to your e-mail, or to your diary, or to any number of things. FB is meant for your friends, not your coworkers. And I don't know about you, but I tend to keep work and friendships separate.

Now if they can access your FB because you don't have any privacy settings on it, that's another matter entirely. If you've chosen to make an ass of yourself to the public, they can choose to factor that into their hiring decision.

good post