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Should employers be allowed to use MySpace, YouTube and Facebook accounts as a basis for hiring or firing employees?
Results so far:
| Yes | 30% | 507 votes | Total: 1665 votes | |
| No | 70% | 1158 votes |
Yes
by Todd Pheifer
Created on: December 21, 2007 Last Updated: February 26, 2012
Social networking sites like MySpace and Facebook and video sites like YouTube are accessible to the public. All people need is an Internet connection and a web browser. Therefore, on some level, they are fair game for anyone to peruse and make judgments based on the contents. Whether this is fair or not is entirely a different issue, but an employer wants to get a broad evaluation of a person before they hire them. But, there a few issues to consider in this issue.
Legality
I'm not an expert on the law, but I do know that employers have to show just cause for not hiring or for firing an employee. In addition, it has to do with the performance of the job itself or specific violations of company policy. While employers can surf for material on their employees or potential employees, they cannot make personal judgment calls on belief systems and lifestyles.
Protected groups
For example, an employer cannot legally discriminate against someone for their race, creed, religious belief, etc. In the same way, an employer may not like the views or lifestyle choice displayed on social networking sites, but unless it goes against the job itself or the mission of the organization, they would have a hard time making an argument that it is job related.
Atmosphere
Employers have the right to monitor the behavior patterns of their employees in the workplace. They can monitor their hours, their phone calls, and where they go on the Internet while at their desk. Once an employee steps outside the door, it gets a bit more tricky. When employers are actively checking the above-mentioned sites, it creates a "big brother"-type atmosphere.
Tough place to be
Even if they have some legal protection in doing these types of searches, the resultant atmosphere may be more distracting and divisive than it is worth. If employers decide to monitor the activities of their employees, they must find a way to tactfully notify people that they have been engaging in this monitoring process. This could create an environment that is extremely awkward. Therefore, an organization has to be cognizant of the ramifications it may face when it comes to digging for employee information.
Awareness and reaction
Overall, company's are becoming more aware of the information people are posting on the Internet. While they can go looking for this information, it can be problematic when employers start looking for data that employees or potential employees did not volunteer.
Learn more about this author, Todd Pheifer.
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No
by Sondra Gomez
Created on: January 29, 2011 Last Updated: December 02, 2011
Social networking is not a whole lot more than social playtime, via the internet. On occasion we will type in life’s more serious events, without really thinking that this is for all to see.
For a probable future employer to use what they have read on a social network about an applicant seeking employment is ridiculous, it would be as though moral application of judgment is considered when reading some persons post on their social networking page.
Most of us, simply use these networks to post things focused around the moment of experience, or our opinion in regard to whatever another has listed. Not a lot different from a phone call.
If a person is to be socially judged by those of whom have such strong decision making control as to if employment will be obtained, and their opinion has a derogatory turn once they have read what they feel to be undesirable information about one’s character through a listing on their social network. At least the applicant should be allowed to explain themselves, don’t you think?
I actually feel this very public information to be little more than silly, or superficial rhetoric in general. And if one finds another’s posting a cause of discomfort, you can simply avoid them, erase them from your networking list of those you of whom you read their postings.
An employer, or future employer has no right to place judgment on your character, in regard to a job that you are qualified to perform, or your job you currently have and are a productive asset to the venue you represent, because of social gossip of sorts, even if you may have contributed in some way to such gossip.
Though if you would really want to avoid the possibility of the chance of judgment of such superficial information being the cause of unfair judgment of your other wise good moral character, then keep it clean, if you will. And whatever you post on your social networking page will most certainly be a complementary attribute of character.
I personally use networking to keep up with those of whom I don’t see regularly, and yes sometime give it a double take, and sometime I even find some of what I read to be a turn off of sorts. Though I always see it as not much more than what it is, rhetoric at the fingertips.
Learn more about this author, Sondra Gomez.
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