Marion1

Jasmine Marion English 112-46 Ms. Mohlere 31 October 2013 Toulmin Argument Why should it be okay for employers to go on your Facebook, Twitter or any other social network you might have to see if they should hire you? Why should it matter what you do outside of work on your own free time, or what you did before you got hired. Getting hired for a job should be based on if you have the work skills and job qualification that particular job might be looking for. It is none of the employers business about what goes on in your personal life, it should not concern them. Also there are privacy laws to protect the employees from letting the employers have your password. Why should you have to give your password to your employer or to HR? Even if nothing on the social networks are private why should that be based on if you get hired or not. Your password is private and it is a law that protects you from giving your password. Privacy law protects against unreasonable intrusions into a persons private affairs and against the disclosure of matters concerning the private life of a person (Pike). It is other things you can do if you wanted to find out information about the employee. I would think that a background check would be more helpful and important to the employer versus having somebodies password just to be nosy and she what they have going on in their personal life. According to George H. Pink, In Congress both the House and Senate introduced the Password Protection Act of 2012. The

Marion2

Password Protection Act would prohibit an employer from attempting to compel or to coerce a person into providing access to a social net- work system through a "password or similar information" such as a friend request . What would happen if you gave them the permission to have your password thinking that you would get the job and you did not? I would feel as though I let them into my life thinking that I got the job nothing was wrong with the things I posted on Facebook and they still did not hire me. You should be hired off the job skills and qualification you have for that particular job. If somebody had all the qualifications that job is looking for but has a few things on their Facebook that the employer did not like would the job turn them down, over the person who has a few of the qualifications but has nothing wrong with their Facebook. It is like being tagged in a picture from when you were 21 out with your friends having a good time holding a alcoholic beverage, but your now 35 that should not determine if you should get the job or not. What should determine if you get a job is you job skills from previous jobs call and ask them how you were when you were working there. It should not be based of something that happened back in the past especially if it is something that is not worth getting turned that job for. If it was a problem they should come directly to you, and tell you about the problem they might have with the picture and move on from there not be stuck on something so simple, and not give you a job that you meet expectation for. Would you like if somebody was to pass judgment on about something that happened years ago, especially a place you work. Your employer has no business to ask for your personal stuff such as what is going on in your private life outside of work, unless you feel the need to share it with them. I understand that the employer wants to find information about you and look into things, but its other things that they should be able to use. A background check to me would

Marion3

be more important to find information on the employee versus looking on Facebook. Doing a background check on somebody is seeing all of their background history. On Facebook the most you might see are pictures of them partying, or out having a good time with friends and family. What is more important seeing somebodies party pictures, and etc. or getting a background check to see their criminal history? What they are doing is potentially exposing themselves by having this information that they wouldnt be allowed to ask in an interview (Chandler pg 7). If you cannot ask certain question in an interview, it should not be okay to ask for somebodies Facebook password. Having certain information that is private, if it has nothing to do with the job they have applied for. If asking personal question is off limits, asking for a future employee for their password is unprofessional. Suppose they give you the password and then you find, but deny the employment If they were to deny the employment to a candidate, they are opening themselves up to the argument they were discriminating in their hiring practice (Chandler pg7). An employee can say anything once you as to why you did not hire them for the job, but if they wanted to sue it would not be anything to prove These are incredibly difficult cases to prove because the employer will presumably have what is called a legitimate business reason why they did not select a particular candidate, and then the burden is shifted to the candidate to prove that the real reason was discrimination (Chandler pg 7). Asking for an employees Facebook should depend on which job field it is in. If employees are on Facebook discussing things that are going on in the Company then you would want to know and address it in a professional way. If they were to talk bad about the company it would mess up the businesses reputation An employee venting about workplace issues might be annoying, but it can also have an impact on the companys reputation (Durham).If this was to

Marion4

happen you would be able to address it from there in what action you thing is appropriate for the situation, and the best way it should be handled of course you would not want one employee to bring mess up the reputation of the company. The employer and the employee should come up with some type of agreement that is okaying the employer to check on their Facebook every once in a while just to be sure they are not saying anything that can mess the business of the company. Employers can take three steps to address social media in the workplace step one: develop a social media policy; step two: effectively communicate the policy to employees and supervisors; and step three: monitor their companys presence in social media (Durham). Depending on the job you are going the employer should be able to look on your Facebook to see what type of person they are dealing with. Nobody wants to have an employer who always party, and have a lot going in their life. You represent your company once you get hired, and if people seeing the disturbing pictures or post they will get a bad image of the company youre working for and think they allow this to go on in the work place. Your Facebook should have nothing to do with you being hired, only based on the job skills and qualifications you have they are interested in. What you have going outside of the workplace is nobodys business unless you come to work talking about your personal life, then they have every right to question you on it, and even go on Facebook to see what you have going on. It is a professional place to business should only be talked about not about your personal life but it still should not give the employer the right to go searching through your Facebook.

Marion5

Works Citied Chandler, Matt. Facebook access in play for employers. Buffalo Law Journal 05 Apr. 2012: 1. Regional Business News. Web. 24 Oct. 2013. Durham, Matt. Employers and Social Media: Navigating The Changing Landscape. Enterprise/Salt Lake City 41.37 (2012): 7 Regional Business News. Web. 24 Oct.2013 Pike, George H. And Your Facebook Password Is. . . Information Today 29.8 (2012): 22. Business Source Complete. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.