"[the applicant]had just finished answering a few character questions when the interviewer turned to her computer to search for his Facebook page. But she couldn't see his private profile. She turned back and asked him to hand over his login information."

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/20/proposed-laws-would-forbid-employers-from-asking-for-job-seekers-social-media/#ixzz1pdo7czgZ?test=latestnews

----

Does anyone actually think an employer has a right to this information?

Of course not. But we must remember that the average boss is just an average person and likely not that bright.

Great question. Think about it, Facebook, Myspace, etc are all in the public, yes? So, as an employer, why not take a look. As the job seeker, what are you hiding? Bong hits in Daytona? Winning a wet t-shirt contest? SO, in summary, I am not sure if the emplyer has the RIGHT to ask. Thankfully, I don't have one.

Nope - passwords are as private a piece of info as one can possess.

Not having a Facebook or Myspace or any other "social site" account, they can ask me til they turn blue in the face. But not being part of this short-lived social experiment is meat for a different thread.

[IMHO, short Facebook a month or so after IPO]

For all practical purposes facebook acts as a cloud computing hub or in other words, an extension of your home desktop. Most facebook users keep, photos of both family and friends, vacations, contact lists, emails, instant messages and on and on. I would no more give a potential employer access to my facebook than I would my personal laptop. With that being said, like many things today; I dont know if this merits federal attention.

jbalo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Does anyone actually think an employer has a right
> to this information?

Absolutely. If the employer is trying to find out information about the character of their prospective hire, they are completely within their rights to research the character of that person by searching for information about them on the Internet.

They are also completely within their rights to use the information gleaned to take a hiring decision.

This is an extension of the same idea that has an employer ask for three character references on your job application.

If you don't like that your prospective employer does this, you're perfectly free to seek employment elsewhere, which is exactly what the person in the article did.

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> jbalo Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Does anyone actually think an employer has a
> right
> > to this information?
>
> Absolutely. If the employer is trying to find out
> information about the character of their
> prospective hire, they are completely within their
> rights to research the character of that person by
> searching for information about them on the
> Internet.
>
> They are also completely within their rights to
> use the information gleaned to take a hiring
> decision.
>
> This is an extension of the same idea that has an
> employer ask for three character references on
> your job application.
>
> If you don't like that your prospective employer
> does this, you're perfectly free to seek
> employment elsewhere, which is exactly what the
> person in the article did.


No its not. This employer requested a username and password so that they may login AS the candidate, giving them access to countless pieces of personal information including many prohibited by federal law already. I cant ask your age but I can do a search to determine it for myself? I cant ask if you are married buy I can search the courthouse for marriage records. Fine. But this is tantamount to asking for a birth certificate or marriage certificate before making your decision.

I don't know if it's okay or not. However, would you want to work for an employer who insists on getting this information?

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I don't know if it's okay or not. However, would
> you want to work for an employer who insists on
> getting this information?


Do you require this from your delivery drivers?

I believe my answer would go something like this:

"I want to show you what you feel you need to see as part of this interview, however I don't want to break the terms of service with Facebook any more than I would want to break any agreements I may have while employed with your company. If you are willing to let me "drive," I will log into my Facebook account and let you see anything you tell me to click on. That way you can get whatever info you are looking for and my login information is kept safe."

If they say no to that, I don't think that company is for me. If they want to compel me to hand personal info over to them in that manner, I'd worry that their HR privacy policies either don't exist or aren't followed.

An alternative answer is: "Do you have a corporate IT policy on password sharing? I think if we take a look at my info in a way compatible with your IT policies that would be fine." If you get a "no", then again that is not an organization you want to work for if they don't take their IT policies (or any policies) seriously.

Actually I'd probably have a netbook or tablet with me and would volunteer to show them my account on that, my own equipment.

What happens if you give them the password, and there is a pic of you nailing the interviewee's spouse????

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Absolutely. If the employer is trying to find out
> information about the character of their
> prospective hire, they are completely within their
> rights to research the character of that person by
> searching for information about them on the
> Internet.

You are missing the point of the question, no shit they can Google us. But asking for login info to find "hidden" info is another step.


> This is an extension of the same idea that has an
> employer ask for three character references on
> your job application.

No it isn't. The proper analogy would be surrendering the email login info of those three references so the prospective employer can browse through whatever info they want that came from or went to those references.

open eyez Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What happens if you give them the password, and
> there is a pic of you nailing the interviewee's
> spouse????


Then you are fine, it is a picture of you nailing your own spouse as you are the interviewee.

@ justsayin

I like your alternative response. Cute!

JBass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> No its not. This employer requested a username
> and password so that they may login AS the
> candidate, giving them access to countless pieces
> of personal information including many prohibited
> by federal law already. I cant ask your age but I
> can do a search to determine it for myself? I
> cant ask if you are married buy I can search the
> courthouse for marriage records. Fine. But this
> is tantamount to asking for a birth certificate or
> marriage certificate before making your decision.

They are not searching for personal information, merely information about the candidate's character. You are right that they are precluded from using information like the applicant's age and marital status in taking a hiring decision, but they are not so precluded in using character information.

For example, if I know that you're an avid member of the Mid-Atlantic Fishermen's Society, that's pretty harmless, but if you're a member of the Stormfront White Nationalist Web site, you might not do well in my ethnically-diverse office.

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> JBass Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > No its not. This employer requested a username
> > and password so that they may login AS the
> > candidate, giving them access to countless
> pieces
> > of personal information including many
> prohibited
> > by federal law already. I cant ask your age but
> I
> > can do a search to determine it for myself? I
> > cant ask if you are married buy I can search
> the
> > courthouse for marriage records. Fine. But
> this
> > is tantamount to asking for a birth certificate
> or
> > marriage certificate before making your
> decision.
>
> They are not searching for personal information,
> merely information about the candidate's
> character. You are right that they are precluded
> from using information like the applicant's age
> and marital status in taking a hiring decision,
> but they are not so precluded in using character
> information.
>
> For example, if I know that you're an avid member
> of the Mid-Atlantic Fishermen's Society, that's
> pretty harmless, but if you're a member of the
> Stormfront White Nationalist Web site, you might
> not do well in my ethnically-diverse office.

So ask me a question about how I handle diversity. The point is that it opens pandoras box. What I hear you saying is that you would allow a stranger to peruse your most personal and private information.

Is it OK for them to request your email accounts/passwords? What about your voice mail password, or 'recent calls' listing from your cell phone?

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are not searching for personal information,
> merely information about the candidate's
> character.

Login info to a social networking site IS personal info.


> For example, if I know that you're an avid member of the
> Mid-Atlantic Fishermen's Society, that's pretty harmless,
> but if you're a member of the Stormfront White Nationalist
> Web site, you might not do well in my ethnically-diverse
> office.

What does that have to do with Facebook? You'd have to find out that info thru Google to try to discover info that someone has an account on some Web site. Your own argument shows how clueless you are.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2012 10:06AM by justsayin.

Olde Farte Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Nope - passwords are as private a piece of info as
> one can possess.
>
> Not having a Facebook or Myspace or any other
> "social site" account, they can ask me til they
> turn blue in the face. But not being part of this
> short-lived social experiment is meat for a
> different thread.



+1

Blessed are the murderous.

Ironically, I wonder if not having a FB page would signal to an employer that you have an insecurity or are unwilling to conform...

-----------------------------------------------

"...your suffering will be legendary even in Hell!"

Years back a computer science teacher told me the best advice regarding the internet. Don't post anything on the internet you arent prepared to see on the front page of the Washington Post.

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> They are not searching for personal information,
> merely information about the candidate's
> character. You are right that they are precluded
> from using information like the applicant's age
> and marital status in taking a hiring decision,
> but they are not so precluded in using character
> information.
>
> For example, if I know that you're an avid member
> of the Mid-Atlantic Fishermen's Society, that's
> pretty harmless, but if you're a member of the
> Stormfront White Nationalist Web site, you might
> not do well in my ethnically-diverse office.

We get it. Employers have legitimate reasons for wanting to check out their potential employees. However employees also have legitimate reasons for wanting to check out potential employers. There is a large amount of information companies share with their employees, with management, with their financiers and with their lawyers that potential employees might find relevant in deciding whether to go to work for a company. Are you willing to make employers give employees access to this information?

Pinhead the Cenobite Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Ironically, I wonder if not having a FB page would
> signal to an employer that you have an insecurity
> or are unwilling to conform...





Not participating in social media or social networking is a big plus when it comes to security clearance eligibility or any sort of career where you hear the word OPSEC on a constant basis.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/20/2012 10:53AM by eesh.

JBass Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> So ask me a question about how I handle diversity.
> The point is that it opens pandoras box. What I
> hear you saying is that you would allow a stranger
> to peruse your most personal and private
> information.

No, that is not what I said at all. If my prospective employer asked me for my logins and passwords, I would terminate the interview right then and there, just like the guy in the article did.

I only argue that employers are within their rights to do this as long as the information is used in support of an investigation of the character of a prospective employee. If you do not agree, then you should not apply to any company that does do this, not demand that yet more laws be written.

Bill.N. Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> We get it. Employers have legitimate reasons for
> wanting to check out their potential employees.
> However employees also have legitimate reasons for
> wanting to check out potential employers. There
> is a large amount of information companies share
> with their employees, with management, with their
> financiers and with their lawyers that potential
> employees might find relevant in deciding whether
> to go to work for a company. Are you willing to
> make employers give employees access to this
> information?

You are perfectly within your rights to do research about a prospective employer, and you may of course ask them for this information during your interview process. They are completely within their rights to refuse to disclose the information, however, as you are within your rights to refuse to disclose information to them.

The right to work merely means that you have the right to seek employment with whatever company will give you a job, not that any specific employer must hire you. As I already said, if you find a particular employer's hiring practices distasteful or intrusive, seek employment elsewhere, don't demand that the legislature pass even more laws.

jbalo Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> "had just finished answering a few character
> questions when the interviewer turned to her
> computer to search for his Facebook page. But she
> couldn't see his private profile. She turned back
> and asked him to hand over his login
> information."
>
> http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/20/propose
> d-laws-would-forbid-employers-from-asking-for-job-
> seekers-social-media/#ixzz1pdo7czgZ?test=latestnew
> s
>
> ----
>
> Does anyone actually think an employer has a right
> to this information?

No, they do not, and I wouldn't work for a company that asked me for this.

I could be wrong but I'm right 99% of the time

Employer's Rights Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> You are perfectly within your rights to do
> research about a prospective employer, and you may
> of course ask them for this information during
> your interview process. They are completely within
> their rights to refuse to disclose the
> information, however, as you are within your
> rights to refuse to disclose information to them.

The consequences though would be different. If you asked me for the information on my business, I would probably say it was highly intrusive and presumptuous on your part, and reject you from further consideration. If you denied the request of most employers for your social network passwords, they would probably assume you had something to hide, and would reject you from further consideration. The reason we employers can generally get away with it and you employees cannot is because there is an imbalance in market power.

This makes me mad. Just say you don't have FB and set your profile so it can't be found in searches.

jbalo, please check your e-mail PMS. please.

Its not that hard to deactivate your FB account and when you do, NOTHING gets automatically deleted and its simple to reactivate. I've done this several times.

The best thing to do would be to deactivate your account while actively interviewing.

Simple to say "I dont have a facebook account" and be done.

Facebook

Hay Zeus Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Its not that hard to deactivate your FB account
> and when you do, NOTHING gets automatically
> deleted and its simple to reactivate. I've done
> this several times.
>
> The best thing to do would be to deactivate your
> account while actively interviewing.
>
> Simple to say "I dont have a facebook account" and
> be done.
>
> Facebook

Agreed, or have TWO facebook accounts. One account for the "perfect web person" and one account for friends where you can post all the wild stuff.

If an perspective employer wants your facebook password give them the "BS job perfect you facebook account." If an employer is stupid enough to read BS facebook posts then they deserve what they read.

lived and learned Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Years back a computer science teacher told me the
> best advice regarding the internet. Don't post
> anything on the internet you arent prepared to see
> on the front page of the Washington Post.

Best advice yet. If you don't post it, they won't see it.

lived and learned Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Years back a computer science teacher told me the
> best advice regarding the internet. Don't post
> anything on the internet you arent prepared to see
> on the front page of the Washington Post.

Right but nowdays you have to extend that to "don't do anything in front of anyone aren't prepared for your employer to see."

I don't allow myself to be knowingly photographed doing anything I don't want a current or future employer to see, even if it would be perfectly legal and fine on the front page of the newspaper. If someone is taking pictures at a party, I put down my drink out of sight before posing, for example. I don't hold protest signs unmasked. Someone can take pics and then flag you in photos, which you may or may not be able to remove but will be visible via Google. Forever.

open eyez Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Great question. Think about it, Facebook,
> Myspace, etc are all in the public, yes? So, as
> an employer, why not take a look. As the job
> seeker, what are you hiding? Bong hits in
> Daytona? Winning a wet t-shirt contest? SO, in
> summary, I am not sure if the emplyer has the
> RIGHT to ask. Thankfully, I don't have one.

There's a disturbing trend in America where people equate privacy to suspicious behavior, as if not being completely open about your personal life means you have something to hide. Bullshit. This is in the same realm as "so when did you stop beating your wife?"

--------------------------------------------------------------
13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Wait, are they asking for the person to just log in in front of them without saving the login info (and log out in front of them as well), or actually provide the username and password in the open to the interviewer?

If it's the latter, that would be completely ridiculous and a terrible violation of privacy. You would have to change your FB password (and probably for several sites) after each interview. Not to mention a whole host of other concerns.

Please tell me these situations are the former...

snowdenscold Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Please tell me these situations are the former...

They are the latter.

An employer asking for the passwords of personal email accounts or facebook accounts is an invasion of privacy.

The employer might as well say "Ok, I just need search your bedroom at home and then we'll know if I can hire you."

HEre is a chick who got fired for not giving up the password.


http://www.technolog.msnbc.msn.com/technology/technolog/failing-provide-facebook-password-gets-teachers-aide-fired-642699

Fukin nazis

Asking for userid and password is stupid on the part of the employer, hands down.

There's no two ways about it. It's stupid. What happens if the employer has the password, and something happens with the account?? They're liable because they required the password.

Plus, many people on Facebook know how to set their privacy settings so only friends can see stuff, not the public.

I work in IT, to include IT security, and any employer that asked me for my passwords, I would not only terminate the interview, I would publicize that fact as widely as I could....