Author Topic: Should prospective employers have the right to your facebook password??  (Read 1473 times)

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Offline powderman

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Senators ask feds to probe requests for passwords   Associated Press Posted on March 25, 2012 at 9:01 AM
Updated today at 9:02 AM        SEATTLE (AP) — Two U.S. senators are asking Attorney General Eric Holder to investigate whether employers asking for Facebook passwords during job interviews are violating federal law.
Democratic Sens. Chuck Schumer of New York and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut said Sunday that they are calling on the Department of Justice and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to launch investigations. The senators are sending letters to the heads of the agencies.
The Associated Press reported this week that some private and public agencies around the country are asking job seekers for their social media credentials. The practice has alarmed privacy advocates.
Facebook warned employers on Friday not to ask job applicants for their passwords to the site, saying protected information is often displayed on profiles
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Offline BUGEYE

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It's none of their business.
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Offline Conan The Librarian

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What does the password give them access to?


The snarky answer to a request like this is that it would be in violation of best practices to share a password, and and that you would no sooner give this password than share a password that gives strangers access to your employer's network.

Offline Shu

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You can ask for a password all you want. No one has to give out their password.
You could always just say I don't facebook.
 I still can't figure out why someone would give up a password.
It's your privacy why would you give it up?
 

Offline Cuts Crooked

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What does the password give them access to?


The snarky answer to a request like this is that it would be in violation of best practices to share a password, and and that you would no sooner give this password than share a password that gives strangers access to your employer's network.

+1!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Offline Sourdough

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NNNNNNNNo, that is none of their business.  With your password they can change or do anything they want to your facebook account. 
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Offline powderman

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NNNNNNNNo, that is none of their business.  With your password they can change or do anything they want to your facebook account.

 
YEP. POWDERMAN.  :o :o
Mr. Charles Glenn “Charlie” Nelson, age 73, of Payneville, KY passed away Thursday, October 14, 2021 at his residence. RIP Charlie, we'll will all miss you. GB

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Offline briarpatch

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The problem.... no facebook, no work.

Offline 1marty

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With the fall of the unions in the US the old corporate abuse is now back. Henry Ford use to send investigators to employee homes to see how they lived and to check to see if they were in church on Sunday.

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With the fall of the unions in the US the old corporate abuse is now back. Henry Ford use to send investigators to employee homes to see how they lived and to check to see if they were in church on Sunday.

Never did like a Ford, now I know why! HA HA HA!!!
 
 
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Offline RVN11B

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My answer, short and sweet, NO!
I have run in to this sort of intrusive nosiness in past interviews.  I 'politely' replied that what I do on my time is my business.  PERIOD!
Of course I did not get the jobs but once they went in to big brother mode I knew I did not want to work for them. >:(

Offline yellowtail3

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Couple things. First... I'd assume that employers might want to snoop around a prospective employees facebook page, to see what things they'v posted, etc - I'd say no to that, probably.


Quite separate is the issue of giving them a password to it - allowing them to edit it? - that's just nuts. Nobody gets that, and only friends get access to view it.
Jesus said we should treat other as we'd want to be treated... and he didn't qualify that by their party affiliation, race, or even if they're of diff religion.

Offline KIMBER45

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With the fall of the unions in the US the old corporate abuse is now back. Henry Ford use to send investigators to employee homes to see how they lived and to check to see if they were in church on Sunday.
YEP!!!!
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Offline Conan The Librarian

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I have a hard time believing that this story was even reported correctly. It makes no sense to ask for a facebook password. There is clearly somethinig in error here.
 
As for unions, I don't think they helped as much as some people say. Most of the people I have known that were screwed out of their pensions have been union workers. My wife is in a union now, and we have seen that they don't do much in helping someone retain a job, and we are worried about whether her pension will be taken away somehow.

Offline magooch

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I have to agree with RVN11B; why would anyone want to work for an employer who was that petty?   
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Offline mannyrock

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Sorry Guys,
 
   But nobody has a right to be hired by any company.  If the terms of the employment are that you must give your facebook password to apply, then those are the terms of the employment.  If you don't like it, fine.  Don't apply for the job.
 
   More and more employers are asking for this. Why?  Because it is astounding what information and pictures people post on facebook.  Including pictures of themselves getting dead drunk, pictures of themselves smoking pot, pictures of themselves doing incredibly stupid and dangerous things around machines and people.  Also included is info about their personal beliefs, such as being a Goth, or hating certain minority or even majority groups.
 
   What you do on your own time is none of your Employer's business?   Sorry, NOT.
 
   I wouldn't hire, and you wouldn't hire, anyone who spends his or her personal time getting drunk, doing illegal drugs, doing incredibly dangerous or stupid things, being members of kooky clubs and organizations, etc.  It reflects on their integrity, honesty, reliabliliy, intelligence, judgment, and whether or not they will create dangers in the workplace to themselves and others.
 
  I find it very interesting that almost everyone on these boards believes in freedom from government interference, the free market place, and fewer government regulations, but that at the same time, folks are coming up with another "we need a new federal law so that employers can't ask these questions" argument.
 
   Mannyrock

Offline Spirithawk

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None of their business, pure invasion of privacy!

Offline Swift One

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Quote
More and more employers are asking for this. Why?  Because it is astounding what information and pictures people post on facebook.  Including pictures of themselves getting dead drunk, pictures of themselves smoking pot, pictures of themselves doing incredibly stupid and dangerous things around machines and people.  Also included is info about their personal beliefs, such as being a Goth, or hating certain minority or even majority groups.

Very true.  I have seen more folks loose their jobs, get divorced and get sued over what they have posted on Facebook.  I got away from Facebook years ago- BTW- they will not delete your account even after you request it several times. 
 
I will never understand why in the hell people would want to air out their dirty laundry, make incriminating statements, and post pics that could be used as evidence against them on the world wide web for all of the planet to see.  People are stupid enough to think that they are safe because their enemies aren not accepted to view thie account.  There is more than one way to ge intell off of Face Book.
It's all a hot mess...........

Offline guzzijohn

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I am surprised at how many here are against this "invasion of privacy" but have no problem with the "invasion of privacy" of employment drug testing.
GuzziJohn

Offline yellowtail3

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I am surprised at how many here are against this "invasion of privacy" but have no problem with the "invasion of privacy" of employment drug testing.
GuzziJohn
I think the reason you see this is that many people aren't against rights being infringed, until they're the right that matter them. Until then, they aren't rights.
Jesus said we should treat other as we'd want to be treated... and he didn't qualify that by their party affiliation, race, or even if they're of diff religion.

Offline powderman

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Quote
But nobody has a right to be hired by any company.  If the terms of the employment are that you must give your facebook password to apply, then those are the terms of the employment.  If you don't like it, fine.  Don't apply for the job.
 

 
MANNYROCK. NOPE, friends are handpicked and chosen, not demanded. Thats why everybody needs good reputable references. Employers can chk for police records, etc. but good references are a must. I see the demand for a facebook password as no different than demanding to read your daily mail or tap your phone. Below is an article I saw. Look it over, what there do you agree or disagree with. POWDERMAN.  ??? ???
 
  9 Common Interview Questions That Are Actually IllegalBy Wall Street | Secrets to Your Success – Thu, Mar 22, 2012 4:17 PM EDT      Provided by
BizInsider
by Vivian Giang
During job interviews, employers will try to gather as much information about you as possible, so there's bound to be some questions that will require you to think.
But it's the simple questions that are often most harmful, and even illegal.
Any questions that reveal your age, race, national origin, gender, religion, marital status and sexual orientation are off-limits.
"If you look at the broad picture, the [interview] questions you're asked have to be job-related and not about who you are as a person," Lori Adelson, a labor and employment attorney and partner with law firm Arnstein & Lehr, told us.
[Related: Things You Shouldn't Say in an Interview]
If you are asked any inappropriate questions, Adelson advises not to lie, but, instead, politely decline to answer.
"Could they not give you a job because of that? Sure," Adelson says. "But if they do, they would be doing exactly what they're not supposed to do."
We asked Adelson to provide us with some illegal interview questions that are often mistaken as appropriate and judicial.
Have you ever been arrested?
An employer can't actually legally ask you about your arrest record, but they can ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime.
Depending on the state, a conviction record shouldn't automatically disqualify you for employment unless it substantially relates to your job. For example, if you've been convicted of statutory rape and you're applying for a teaching position, you will probably not get the job
Are you married?
Although the interviewer may ask you this question to see how much time you'd be able to commit to your job, it's illegal because it reveals your marital status and can also reveal your sexual orientation.
Do you have children?
Again, the employer may ask you this question to see your available time commitment with the company, but this question is inappropriate.
However, they are allowed to ask you directly if you have other responsibilities or commitments that will be conflicting to your work schedule.
What country are you from?
If you have an accent, this may seem like an innocent question, but keep in mind that it's illegal because it involves your national origin.
Employers can't legally inquire about your nationality, but they can ask if you're authorized to work in a certain country.
Is English your first language?
It's not the employers lawful right to know if a language is your first language or not.
In order to find out language proficiency, employers can ask you what other languages you read, speak or write fluently.
Do you have any outstanding debt?
Employers have to have permission before asking about your credit history and, like a criminal background history, they can't disqualify you from employment unless it directly affects your ability to perform the position you're interviewing for.
Similarly, they can't ask you how well you balance your personal finances.
Do you socially drink?
Employers cannot ask about your drinking, or even legal drug use, habits because these inquiries are protected under the American Disability Act.
For example, if you're a recovering alcoholic, treatment of alcoholism is protected under this act and you don't have to disclose any disability information before landing an official job offer.
How long have you been working?
This question allows employers to guess your age which is unlawful. Similarly, they can't ask you what year you graduated from high school or college or even your birthday.
However, they can ask you how long you've been working in a certain industry.
What religious holidays do you practice?
Employers may want to ask you this to see if your lifestyle interferes with work schedules, but this question reveals your religion and that's illegal.
They can ask you if you're available to work on Sundays.
More from BusinessInsider.com:
Honeybees Choose Their Jobs Depending On Their Personalities
Mr. Charles Glenn “Charlie” Nelson, age 73, of Payneville, KY passed away Thursday, October 14, 2021 at his residence. RIP Charlie, we'll will all miss you. GB

Only half the people leave an abortion clinic alive.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAiOEV0v2RM
What part of ILLEGAL is so hard to understand???
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http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDqmy1cSqgo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u9kieqGppE&feature=related
http://www.illinois.gov/gov/contactthegovernor.cfm

Offline lakota

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I am surprised at how many here are against this "invasion of privacy" but have no problem with the "invasion of privacy" of employment drug testing.
GuzziJohn

There are certain jobs where being a drunk or a drug addict would pose a safety hazard. Do you want a drunk or high surgeon or airline pilot? Perhaps a drunk behind the wheel of a tractor trailer?
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Offline yellowtail3

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There are certain jobs where being a drunk or a drug addict would pose a safety hazard. Do you want a drunk or high surgeon or airline pilot? Perhaps a drunk behind the wheel of a tractor trailer?


Silly red herring. There are lots of folks who drink, smoke, play cards, go to church, or smoke weed... but they can do that without doing it on the job.


On can drink without being a drunk, and one can indulge in other substances (let's stick to weed for now) without being a drug addict.


Srsly... I'm not making this up. Ask any thinking person.
Jesus said we should treat other as we'd want to be treated... and he didn't qualify that by their party affiliation, race, or even if they're of diff religion.

Offline guzzijohn

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Quote from Lakota:
"There are certain jobs where being a drunk or a drug addict would pose a safety hazard. Do you want a drunk or high surgeon or airline pilot? Perhaps a drunk behind the wheel of a tractor trailer?"


If you are saying that drug testing may weed addicts, etc. out then why not facebook? If there is a picture on your facebook showing you driving with an open beer or a joint is that not a possible indicator of a problem? If I smoke a joint over two weeks ago it will show positive in a drug test although it had no effect on my job performance in any way the day the testing was done, what did that just solve? I have no problem with my surgeon, or pilot or trucker drinking or smoking as long as IT IS NOT DONE ON THE JOB OR JUST BEFORE REPORTING FOR WORK. Personal life and work life should be two separate lives.
GuzziJohn

Offline Conan The Librarian

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I don't see how you can completely separate the two. But back to the original point, and assuming this is true, which I doubt, employers will cherry pick when there are a lot of candidates available for a job. This is just a new way of doing so.
 
 

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Offline BUGEYE

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asking for a password and demanding a drug test is two different things.
my job at delta airlines was so technical that I could have killed hundreds of people if I was high.
Give me liberty, or give me death
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Offline lakota

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Its pointless to argue the drug test issue here. You have the right to dope it up and drink it up. That right trumps anyone else's rights. Employers dont have the right to choose not to hire people that might create safety issues with their drug use and open the employer up to lawsuits and higher insurance premiums etc. The public doesnt have the right to be safe from drug users. So drink and smoke up...never mind that weed is a gateway drug that usually leads to abusing harder drugs.
 
P.S. I dont dispute that free people should be able to ingest whatever they want...but I also dont dispute that employers should be able to choose not to hire these folks.
 
Its also really funny that the folks who shout that they shouldnt be forced to drug test for employment are also the same ones who tell me the federal government should be able to force me to purchase health insurance.
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Offline mechanic

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The prospective employer has a right to ask whatever they want.  The prospective employee has the right not to answer, or answer in the negative.  It isn't complicated.  I would not give out my passwords to anyone, even though I do take annual drug tests.  Both are my decision. 
 
I have the right to look for another job, or start my own employment, or do without.
 
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Offline SwampThing762

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I just tell them that I don't have a facebook page, even if I do.  What I do on my time is my business.

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