by Jason Morris

As long as you keep reading them, I will keep posting stories about why employers should not use social networking sites when hiring people. Do Employers Using Facebook for Background Checks Face Legal Risks? is a legal blog the following story was written by Carolyn Elefant. Look for more in depth articles to hit employeescreen University in the coming months!

Do Employers Using Facebook for Background Checks Face Legal Risks?

As employers increasingly turn to social networking sites like Facebook to conduct background checks on job applicants and employees, a potential face-off is brewing regarding the legality of this practice, according to reports from Financial Week and The New York Daily News. Long ago, most employers stopped requiring applicants to submit photographs or inquiring about marital status or age to avoid accusations that they rejected a candidate for discriminatory reasons. Now, social networking profiles make this once off-limits information readily available, thus reopening the potential for liability. And demographic data isn’t the only concern for employers. Facebook profiles may also include information about employees’ political activities, a factor that employers are prohibited from considering under most states’ laws.

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This entry was posted on Friday, March 14th, 2008 at 7:27 am and is filed under Rants, Social Networking Sites, Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.