Want to work for the city? Hand over your facebook log-in info...

[Papa Deuce]

One of the things people tend to forget when posting pictures and personal information online is that a lot of it is only a short Internet search away from their current or potential employers (not to mention their parents). It has now become standard procedure for many employers to sit down with Google and cyberstalk potential employees, while the more savvy hunt down Facebook profiles and Twitter feeds. The city of Bozeman Montana, however, has decided that all of that is too much work—it's now requesting that potential employees hand over the login credentials for any social networking sites they frequent.

Background checks are standard procedure for many jobs, as it allows employers to identify problematic legal histories and things of that nature. Bozeman is no exception, as it uses a waiver form to obtain an applicant's consent to use their Social Security and driver's license numbers to dig into their past. But the form is notable in that about a third of area that needs to be filled out by an applicant is devoted to website information.

"Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc." the form reads. But Bozeman isn't simply interested in finding out where to look for potentially embarrassing personal details; the city wants full disclosure, since the form demands username and password information for each. City employees will apparently be able to dig through any information applicants have put online, regardless of whether it's accessible to the public.

____________________

My guess is that this gets challeneged in court and the city loses.

[Fred Wright]

Not if ya don't give it up, they won't. Honestly, if a prospective employer asked me for this sensitive information, I'd have to rethink who I might be working for.

George Orwell was right.

[DJ SVO]

Once again my response would be SIT DOWN AND ROTATE!!! But who knows what the Messiah may find this as another way to control the subjects in his empire

[ahoustondj]

Originally Posted by Papa Deuce

One of the things people tend to forget when posting pictures and personal information online is that a lot of it is only a short Internet search away from their current or potential employers (not to mention their parents). It has now become standard procedure for many employers to sit down with Google and cyberstalk potential employees, while the more savvy hunt down Facebook profiles and Twitter feeds. The city of Bozeman Montana, however, has decided that all of that is too much work—it's now requesting that potential employees hand over the login credentials for any social networking sites they frequent.

Background checks are standard procedure for many jobs, as it allows employers to identify problematic legal histories and things of that nature. Bozeman is no exception, as it uses a waiver form to obtain an applicant's consent to use their Social Security and driver's license numbers to dig into their past. But the form is notable in that about a third of area that needs to be filled out by an applicant is devoted to website information.

"Please list any and all, current personal or business websites, web pages or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include, but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc." the form reads. But Bozeman isn't simply interested in finding out where to look for potentially embarrassing personal details; the city wants full disclosure, since the form demands username and password information for each. City employees will apparently be able to dig through any information applicants have put online, regardless of whether it's accessible to the public.

____________________

My guess is that this gets challeneged in court and the city loses.

All the more reason why I am self employed!

[Papa Deuce]

BTW, and not for nuthin', but to allow them to take your logins would most definitely violate the TOS on all of those sites, I would be willing to bet.

[Jeff Romard]

Employer - Give me your logins

Me - Logins? Internet? Wait I did hear about this interweb thing they say it's going to be big someday

[Thunder]

[QUOTE=Jeff Romard;295543]Employer - Give me your logins[QUOTE]

Me: give me yours!

I need all of your website, internet connections and any destinations that you access by internet and passwords to all of those accounts!

[Jon Tuck]

Give nothing!!! I must be hitting the sauce making this comment. There you go Randy.

[Big Dan]

It's funny as we move more and more into the so called digital/information age less and less of our information is personal or private. Think about it on face book, myspace, etc we broadcast our relationship status list our name, address, phone number, websites, etc.

Most of the times we share this information without even thinking about who has the ability to see the information today who will have the ability to see the information tomorrow. There have actually been many newspaper articles on weather or not to 'friend' your parents or coworkers.

How many of you have 'friends' on facebook that you rarely if ever talk to? Are they really friends or just people you're too polite to 'defriend'? No offense, to anyone who is on my facebook page but I have many people on there whom I never talk to yet they have access to all my current information. At no time in history has this been possible unless you wrote or phoned your old friends they had no way to get your information unless it was through a friend/family member of yours who would more than likely know if you didn't want that other person to have your information for what ever reason.

For me it seems like it's an all in or all out thing. It seems that you either put the information there for all to see OR no information for anyone to see. It would be nice if you could control what information goes out to who. For instance maybe only real life friends and family should be able to see my address and phone number. As it is today, once you're my BFF on facebook you know where I live.. Is that smart? I don't know personally I don't think I make very many enemies and those that I do make enemies out of probably aren't crazy enough to do something like try and shoot me through my front facing bedroom window.

But what happens if I friend someone who I don't realize is a crazed lunatic and down the line I piss them off in some way then they try and off me through my street facing bedroom window?

I'm joking a bit and perhaps taking things to the extreme but it is something to think about.

[WaydeWest]

Ah but keep in mind, if your address and phone number is on Facebook, it's because you put it there.

[DJ SVO]

Originally Posted by Big Dan

But what happens if I friend someone who I don't realize is a crazed lunatic and down the line I piss them off in some way then they try and off me through my street facing bedroom window?

Don't worry Dan I'll slice you and dice you so fast you won't feel a thing

[Fred Wright]

Thinking on this a little more, I'm surprised that an employer would request such sensitive information from a prospective hire.

Used to be, an employment app asked for everything but what you ate for breakfast that morning. They wanted everything... age, race, SSN, medical history, home address, how long you'd lived there, rent or own, what kind of car you drove, what make and year, model etc. Remember when an employment app came with a separate form, with a laundry list of medical issue checkboxes? They're not allowed to do that anymore either.

Somewhere along the road, someone figured that asking for personal information on an employment app could be construed as potential discrimination.

So the boilerplate app has been simpled down. They don't even ask where you live anymore. They now ask if you're able to make it to work every day. HR people aren't allowed to ask these things during the interview process either. The less they know about you, the less ammunition to be used against them in a discrimination lawsuit.

I agree that some employers are nebbing the social networking sites, looking for info on employees. Not illegal but seems like a waste of time to me. I think if an attorney or member of congress pressed the issue, this practice of asking hires for personal info would come to a stop.

[Papa Deuce]

Originally Posted by Fred Wright

Somewhere along the road, someone figured that asking for personal information on an employment app could be construed as potential discrimination.

My aunt's SIL owned a jewerly / antique store in the early 1990's. I needed a PT job so I went there to apply. She actually asked me if I had a girlfriend. I told her that that was none of her business. She did not hire me.

While probably still inappropriate, I found out later why she asked... a former male employee was stealing jewelry for his girlfriend.

[DjDennis]

I give out what I need and when its needed

the LEFT hand does not know what the RIGHT hand is doing