"house shoots down Facebook legislation"
Excuse me...say what??
Yeap, that's right...it is ok for a potential employer to ask you for your Facebook password in an interview. O_o...I'll let you ponder that for a moment...
This was disheartening to me when I read it because jobs are so hard to find these days anyway. I understand companies being more careful, wanting to know more about their applicants so that they can really make the best choice business wise. I'm a business student, I get it, a new employee is a big investment; hiring, training, paperwork, etc. To do it all only to have the employee not work out after their first two checks is frustrating. However...
To point out the catch 22 that this Facebook problem presents...
Everyone knows that every job application you fill out will ask you if you have ever been convicted of a felony. It also says that answering yes will "not necessarily disqualify" you from employment. Bullcrap...yes it does...automatically. I have worked in retail management for 12+ years and I can tell you first hand out of all the managers I have ever worked for or with, I have always been the only one to consider felons as real applicants. Other managers have pushed those apps to the side, on purpose. We all figure it happens and I'm here to tell you that yes, it in fact does happen, every day. Discrimination. But if I lie about it, then I risk being fired from the job later should the employer ever choose to check out what I denied. So I am faced with: tell the truth and be discriminated against or lie and risk having the rug pulled out from under me (being fired).
Same thing for the Facebook password question. You can give it to them, but then they can see EVERYTHING about you. Remember, YOUR Facebook looks different from what the public or your friends can see. With the new Facebook permissions you can choose what everyone sees individually. I do it all the time. Some of my picture albums are only open to family members for example. Heck, I can even post a status update about one of my friends and make it private from them. So an employer having the same personal access to my Facebook profile that I have is absolutely absurd. My personal messages, my personal photos, etc. What makes it ok to say this is a pre-employment requirement? Employers seemed to do ok before Facebook was invented. At the very least the employer can look at the items I do have set to public at any time, why do they need to be me on Facebook? This very invasion of privacy is against Facebook's rules of privacy.
I will choose not to give out my Facebook password. And everyone can refuse to. But we will all be worried this will affect our ability to be hired. Just like being a felon.
How will this affect you? Or someone you know? What if one of your Facebook friends gives out their password and the employer sees something they don't like about you? How is all this info catalogued and stored? Who keeps it? Who reads it? What happens to it?
How about I just give you my diary...will that work?
Everyone please make a stand against this and other legislation similar to it to send a message to our elected officials. Educate our youth not to fall victim to unreasonable demands by people who have no authority.
Live, Love, Laugh, Learn, & Teach!...
I've actually considered deleting my FB account a few times...part of me still keeps it because it's a good/easy way for me to keep in touch with family and classmates from vet school.
ReplyDeleteNote that it was the Democratic party that tried to get the law passed that would PREVENT potential employers from asking that information; it was the Republican party that blocked the measure.
The article I read noted that FB said they would pursue legal action to protect the privacy of it's users, which is a good thing.
Regardless of your party affiliation, this is a great example of the government at it's finest. A large group of mostly, white, rich, males fighting each other to make sure they're the "winners"...our government is very broken and has been for a LONG time.
Agreed Taylor, and thanks for adding the facts that you did. Yes, you're right, the Dems tried to pass it and the Pubs voted against it, 236-185. Amazing that the 1%'ers want us to open everything up to them. Usually foes want to know all their enemies secrets so they can take them down from the inside out. I did also see that Facebook has taken a very hard stance on this issue, which I applaud and admire. they are fighting the government with us...GO FACEBOOK!!
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