Employment and social media: Facebook

I’m pretty sure every single person I know is on Facebook. Until recently, the only person I knew who wasn’t on Facebook was my dad, but he finally caved a few months ago and joined… and now calls me twice a week to ask me questions like, “how do I put this picture on my page?” and “how come I can’t see Andie’s pictures?” (The answers to those are “hit upload” and “because my little sister is 16 and refuses to add her dad as a Facebook friend. No, dad, I can’t make her”)

Now that we’re all on Facebook and posting pictures of weddings and bar crawls alike, where do we draw the line with employment? Mashable recently posted an interesting infographic about the controversy surrounding new employment and social media. In 2011, some employers were asking for Facebook passwords as a prerequisite of employment in order to ensure they know the “real” person they are hiring. Some people refused, others allowed it, and the ACLU put a stop to the practice.

However, now we’re seeing a new issue arise: employers are asking for applicants to show them their personal Facebook pages, which said applicants were smart enough to make private in the first place. Times are changing, and the economy isn’t what it used to be. Rather that everyone refusing such an invasion of privacy, there are cases where potential employees have given up their privacy in exchange for a much needed job.

Of course, what most employers (and colleges, in some cases) don’t realize, as that by gaining access to such content, they are potentially liable for it’s content and any associated behavior. The ramifications of allowing employers into our person lives are huge.

So, what can we do? Well, it’s doubtful that such requests by employers will stand up in court, but the fact remains that everyone should still be using social media responsibly. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen friends and acquaintances posting negative things about their employer… or posting things that would make others blush. The bottom line is you should be mindful of what you’re posting, and perhaps follow the same guideline I try desperately to make my little sister understand: Once it’s on the internet, it’s forever. Don’t post anything you wouldn’t be comfortable with your employer, your mom, and your spouse seeing. There is such a thing as “oversharing.” And finally, try and use some common sense.

If you’d like a “preview” of what the future may look like if checking Facebook becomes a standard practice, check this out. It’s a fictional letter, but the implications are real.