Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
1–10 of 106 posts
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#2Isn't this illegal during the interview process since Facebook reveals practically every protected status?
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#3Isn't this illegal during the interview process since Facebook reveals practically every protected status?
I'd imagine it's probably not illegal, since that's not the only information on your profile. Just like they can't ask you your race or marital status, but when you come in for the interview they can certainly see the color of your skin and if you're wearing a wedding band.
It should be illegal though- I'm not sure when it ever became acceptable to ask for someone's login credentials.
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#4I wonder what the implications would be if facebook introduced a feature that allowed a potential employer to "buy" temporary access to a potential employees facebook data?
For example you apply for a job somewhere and the next time you log into facebook you get a message that reads something like.
"InitTech PLC has requested read only access to your account for 48 hours, please be aware that compliance with this is a condition of employment with InitTech PLC Allow/Deny"
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#5Is this really becoming common? I agree that it's absolutely wrong, but, every headline I've seen gives the impression this is becoming a common practice. I've never heard of it actually happening anywhere but the few cases cited in the articles.
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#6Is this really becoming common? I agree that it's absolutely wrong, but, every headline I've seen gives the impression this is becoming a common practice. I've never heard of it actually happening anywhere but the few cases cited in the articles.
No, I very much doubt it is at all common, most employers wouldn't have the balls to do this.
However it does show this sort of thing is attractive from an employers point of view.
You would only really need this to become procedure at one large company (say wallmart) to set a precedent that others will follow.
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#7Isn't this illegal during the interview process since Facebook reveals practically every protected status?
It seems that if you were not hired after the company viewed this private information, it would be very hard for the employer to avoid claims of discrimination based on what they could have seen.
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#8Isn't this illegal during the interview process since Facebook reveals practically every protected status?
It seems that if you were not hired after the company viewed this private information, it would be very hard for the employer to avoid claims of discrimination based on what they could have seen.
as far as I know most of the groups that it is illegal to discriminate against would not require facebook access to confirm membership of.
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#9I wonder what the implications would be if facebook introduced a feature that allowed a potential employer to "buy" temporary access to a potential employees facebook data? For example you apply for a job somewhere and the next time you log into facebook you get a message that reads something like. "InitTech PLC has requested read only access to your account for 48 hours, please be aware that compliance with this is…
Not to highjack the topic but I also read the IRS uses social media profiles to see if you are living above your means.
Something slightly similar to your "temporary access" theory happens if you owe the IRS even a small amount of money. They enter your bank account to seize cash and the bank charges you $100 for the inspection/invasion.
As for the topic at hand, I don't see why one cannot simply say they have no Facebook account. Since FB began, there have been more years of myself having no account than there have been of having one (meaning I'm a serial "account-deleter").
Re: Your Facebook password should be none of your boss' business
#10Is this really becoming common? I agree that it's absolutely wrong, but, every headline I've seen gives the impression this is becoming a common practice. I've never heard of it actually happening anywhere but the few cases cited in the articles.
The job market is still pretty weak, and many sectors have not recovered at all. So, unfortunately, employers still hold all the bargaining chips. For a lot of job seekers, it may be pretty hard to tell a potential employer to go fuck itself if it makes this sort of request. A lot of people aren't in the position to be picky about employment right now. Especially young people, who are just starting out in the job market.
To me, that's what's most troubling about this: employers have the ability to strike now, while the iron is hot. If enough big employers can establish this as a standard practice, then pretty soon it becomes procedural. (Like the background check, the drug test, and other procedures that BigCo routinely uses in hiring practices).
In a perfect world, sure, you'd love to be able to walk away from a job offer and say "Well, I wouldn't want to work for any company that subjects me to this...so sayonara, suckers!" But a) vanishingly few people are in a position to do that, and b) there's a real danger that this practice becomes so widespread as to be unavoidable.
While I do think the current situation is being blown out of proportion, I think the potential danger is very real.