You’ve been searching for a new job for months. You’ve submitted your resume to dozens of employers. You’ve had interview after interview without any news back.
Then finally you get a call.
A hiring manager is interested in bringing you on board…there’s just one caveat. They want access to your Facebook account first.
Is this legal? Should you just give in and hand over access? Or should you outright refuse?
Since this became a hot-button issue in 2012, Facebook has come out publicly and decried the practice of employers asking for passwords to user accounts, stating it violated privacy and opened up companies to the risk of a lawsuit.
In a post on the site, Facebook’s chief privacy officer, Erin Egan, wrote that asking for passwords may “cause problems for the employers that they are not anticipating. For example, if an employer sees on Facebook that someone is a member of a protected group (e.g. over a certain age, etc.) that employer may open themselves up to claims of discrimination if they don’t hire that person.”
Likewise, in 2012, more than a dozen states introduced legislation, banning employers from requesting Facebook passwords from job applicants. Maryland became the first state to enact a ban; laws in California, Illinois and Michigan have also gone into effect. Other states are likely to follow suit in 2013.
So if a hiring manager asks for access to your account, just say “no.” Let them know that 1) it’s against the law in California and 2) you prefer to keep your account private. Also, inform them that Facebook’s user policy prohibits you from sharing your password.
If they continue to push, then you may want to take yourself out of the running for the job altogether. After all, do you really want to work for a company that so desperately wants access to your personal, private information that they’re willing to violate the law?
Probably not.
Need More Job Search Advice?
Check out our posting about “4 Phrases to Avoid on Your Resume.” And if you’d like expert help finding a new opportunity, give us a call. As one of the top employment firms in Rancho Cordova, Pacific Staffing works with employers all over the area and can connect you with a variety of rewarding opportunities.
Contact us today to learn more or search our Rancho Cordova jobs now.