Last I knew, it was illegal to ask for marital status, race, religion, sexual preference (?), etc. (although I realize many prospective employers do this anyway)
Since all of this is likely to be found on a person's facebook page, couldn't this sort of request be considered a round-about way of obtaining that information, and shouldn't it also be illegal to request access to a person's FB page?
Interestingly, nearly every teenager who is on FB deals with a version of this same issue when their parents demand access to the teen's FB account. How do the kids get around it? They create a "safe" page (to show parents, relatives, teachers) and their "real page" which is accessed by friends only. Any employer or recruiter who thinks that they are getting a potential employee's "real" FB account has never known a teenager!
I started a petition against this on Change.org ... If you really want to stop this lets tell the government in one voice that this is unacceptable. https://www.change.org/petitions/the-united-states-government-create-a-law-banning-employers-from-demanding-access-to-social-media-sites
Back in the 70s while I was pursuing my advanced degree, I studied through summer and counting on my better-half to raise our number one son. Later in 80 with my MS degree got hired by the IT Company and put in 29 years - only recently retired. Nowadays in addition to help my number one son and his wife raise my First Grand-Daughter, and doing house chores (both in-and-out-doors), I barely find time to read news through the Web. I credit my long tenure of employment to hard-work and loyalty to my employer in terms of time/overtime spent to accomplish work assignment/projects. I hate to say it, but my experience with one young applicant prospect who had impressive resume - yet after 6 month on the job demonstrated only capable of copy/paste and was let go. I was never on any Social media and heck I never even owned a Cellphone/IPod/IPad - only a landline phone. I can certainly understand why the employer(s) like to get a better understanding of the applicant's background before bring them aboard and if the applicant ever on any Social media - be it Facebook or MySpace or Twitter - show me who you really are! If I'm the employer - I wouldn't trust a pretty face, nice smile, fashion suit/dress, well-polished resume because in this "Google generation" all the above could be deceiving to say the least!
I don't think it's necessarily fair to rely on an applicant's Facebook page to gauge ability to perform in the workplace. What you'll glean from my page is that I like the Phillies, boxed wine, am eagerly awaiting the season premier of Mad Man, plan to attend the Penn State blue-white game next month, coach a baseball team for special needs kids, and like to fly kites on sunny days with my children. Interesting tidbits, but not at all related to any job I'd likely apply for.
If a person hasn't anything to hide, then they should at least advise a prospective employer that they're at least listed on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn. However, they shouldn't have to give them their password for the prospective employer to gain direct access to their pages. Let the prospective employer have an active account with these three social media entities and then they can access the prospective employee's pages if they're that interested. No passwords should be coerced into being given up. I'd skip that potential employer since if they're already being invasive on a remote basis, one has to wonder what's in store for them if they're hired.
It's not having something to hide, it's how is it going to be interpreted when read through their eyes.
We all post things we feel are right. Take this forum for example.
What if the person who is reading your posts doesn't agree with you on a political issue or social issue (seeing as it's a social site). Would it be okay for them to turn you down for the job?
What if I was the one interviewing you and didn't like your post here, would you be okay with that?
Actually if you sent the e-mail from your office they can and probably do read some of them. Anything you do personal or otherwise on a company computer is fair game. Same with company phones and cars. However, anything you do on your personal PC, phone etc. is none of their business.
This is not an opinion page on Facebook. No one cares if you don't use it or not. Really, no one cares.
It's about employers abusing our civil rights and invading our personal lives.
If I use Facebook for private connections with family and friends and have my settings set as such, then it is no ones business. If, however, I have neglected certain privacy settings or posted on pages that are public, so be it. That is fair game.
Keep on topic. Companies do not own our bodies or our minds.
We provide a service and are compensated for that service; nothing more. And either party can terminate that agreement at any time. That's what keeps everyone on their best behavior.
if you value your privacy and more, stay off social networks or anything that gives an open portal into your life, your finances. hackers have broken into the pentagon, banks, and more. if there is valuable data to mine, a hacker will go for it and not all hackers are nice people. it's a risk that you must decide for yourself.
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Since all of this is likely to be found on a person's facebook page, couldn't this sort of request be considered a round-about way of obtaining that information, and shouldn't it also be illegal to request access to a person's FB page?
How do the kids get around it? They create a "safe" page (to show parents, relatives, teachers) and their "real page" which is accessed by friends only.
Any employer or recruiter who thinks that they are getting a potential employee's "real" FB account has never known a teenager!
We all post things we feel are right. Take this forum for example.
What if the person who is reading your posts doesn't agree with you on a political issue or social issue (seeing as it's a social site). Would it be okay for them to turn you down for the job?
What if I was the one interviewing you and didn't like your post here, would you be okay with that?
emails
search queries
listen to all our voice mails
see all our phone contacts
who we've called
gps our cars
pictures we may have
where is the limit?
Whats the sense of having privacy when we have no privacy?
Corporations are government without the laws.
How can a company require our private passwords when even the police need a warrant???
It's about employers abusing our civil rights and invading our personal lives.
If I use Facebook for private connections with family and friends and have my settings set as such, then it is no ones business. If, however, I have neglected certain privacy settings or posted on pages that are public, so be it. That is fair game.
Keep on topic. Companies do not own our bodies or our minds.
We provide a service and are compensated for that service; nothing more. And either party can terminate that agreement at any time. That's what keeps everyone on their best behavior.
And all of you should too.