Want to work here? Turn over your username/password

[Cajungaltx]

LINK HERE

As part of routine background checks, the city asks job applicants to provide their usernames and passwords for their social-networking sites. And it has been doing it for years, city officials said.

“Please list any and all, current personal or business Web sites, 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.,” states a city waiver form applicants are asked to sign. Three lines are provided for applicants to list log-in information for each site.

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Ummm... ummm.... maybe it's just me... but seriously... there ain't no need for me to hand over my personal usernames/passwords to get a job. If I'm applying for a high level of security... I could POSSIBLY see it... but heck, they are going to be doing background checks on me anyway and will know which tooth I chipped last week probably...

Would you say your facebook/myspace/etc would be a good judge of YOUR character to someone you didn't know?

[rwwright]

dont even think about going to work for a company with that kink of policy

[Cornbread]

I'd proudly show any of my pages to anyone I work with. They are a place to have fun and vent. My pages are a 180 degree departure from my work ethic and habits.

[ka5txl]

I would not give that information out period. I recently had to go through annual retraining on information protection. Since our personel/payroll system is still ssn based I had to log onto the pc with my ssn. It did not conceal the ssn as I typed it. At the end of the training it printed out a form for me to give to my supervisor to keep in a file that showed I had completed the annual training and of course it showed the entire number Thank goodness for Marks a Lot

[acymc]

My company finally assigned a unique personal ID number to everyone, but some of the training forms still ask for SS#.

[Gambit]

Ah, you hit a hot button here.

I can understand asking for your user IDs. But in all the coverage on this topic I've seen, all the focus is on "privacy." While that might be a valid point, they don't mention the big one in my opinion - if someone else has your password, they can IMPERSONATE YOU.

Of course, if the potential employer sees something they don't like in there, you could simply explain that part was added by someone from your previous employer who somehow got hold of your password.

Perhaps you could offer to trade them your information for their online banking userid & password?

[David Whatley]

I make it a habit to check out the personal pages of future employees. I want to know more about them and their habits, which will be an indication of what type of issues I may or may not have to deal with if I give them a job.
An example is the girl that applied fro an accounting position, and told me she was working as a waitress part time. What she didnt tell me was that she was a dancer at a gentlemans club.

[ppcass]

David, checking out pages and asking for passwords is two TOTALLY different things, I hope you know that. i would check out pages as well, and I had a prospective employer find and peruse my online portfolio (still got the job), but i do not and never will agree to giving someone my log-ins.

[Crashoran]

If they require a Google password, that means they can go through all of your emails (if using gmail), documents, spreadsheets, calendars, etc.

[jeffro20]

Originally Posted by David Whatley

I make it a habit to check out the personal pages of future employees. I want to know more about them and their habits, which will be an indication of what type of issues I may or may not have to deal with if I give them a job.
An example is the girl that applied fro an accounting position, and told me she was working as a waitress part time. What she didnt tell me was that she was a dancer at a gentlemans club.

So was that a plus or minus?

jeffro20 added 1 Minutes and 40 Seconds later...Double Post Merged Below

Originally Posted by Cajungaltx

LINK HERE

As part of routine background checks, the city asks job applicants to provide their usernames and passwords for their social-networking sites. And it has been doing it for years, city officials said.

“Please list any and all, current personal or business Web sites, 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.,” states a city waiver form applicants are asked to sign. Three lines are provided for applicants to list log-in information for each site.

__________________________________________________ _______

Ummm... ummm.... maybe it's just me... but seriously... there ain't no need for me to hand over my personal usernames/passwords to get a job. If I'm applying for a high level of security... I could POSSIBLY see it... but heck, they are going to be doing background checks on me anyway and will know which tooth I chipped last week probably...

Would you say your facebook/myspace/etc would be a good judge of YOUR character to someone you didn't know?

That has got to be one of the craziest things I have ever heard of.

No fricken way and why did in the world do you need this confidential info?

[Cajungaltx]

Originally Posted by David Whatley

I make it a habit to check out the personal pages of future employees. I want to know more about them and their habits, which will be an indication of what type of issues I may or may not have to deal with if I give them a job.
An example is the girl that applied fro an accounting position, and told me she was working as a waitress part time. What she didnt tell me was that she was a dancer at a gentlemans club.

See - to me, that's crossing a line that shouldn't be crossed - which is the main issue.

I personally wouldn't work at a gentleman's club... I wouldn't want either of my daughter's to work there. I'm morally against that type of industry.

However - it is a LEGAL job to hold - and I've had a few friends pay their way through college dancing on tables.. who had long term relationships... and didn't behave in the 'general' types of behaviors associated with that type of industry. And there may be reasons unknown to me as to why a person took that job... and is obviously trying to get out of it if they are applying for an accounting position.

If they were part of a gang that wanted to rewrite the accounting laws...and all kinds of job applicable things... I could see it being an issue.

But previous employment that is morally objectionable? How would a person ever get out of a situation like that if no one hired them?

[Steelsun]

Usernames I can understand, depending on the position of the people. Private passwords, no way. That's like asking to turn over a copy of your home computer hard drive. I can easily see a civil suit over that from the ACLU if someone wanted to press the issue and make some money.

Same reasoning is applied to Credit Reports or Driving Records for employment - they are not justified in all cases, only those positions of trust or need.

As an investigator that does alot of background checks for high level positions, it is quite normal now to have an internet profile done of the person. Having the usernames would help ALOT, having the passwords is intrusive.

Heck, even giving the passwords does not consent to them accessing the accounts, and unless you gave permission and they used the info to access the account, they would be guilty of Federal crimes (improper access of computer/database/system).

[texfoto]

Police departments want this information as well when you apply. I just can't see this last that long though for all positions in city and state government.

I wonder if this is something they want or can ask for at anytime during your employment, kind of like a random drug screening?

mike

[Gambit]

Originally Posted by Steelsun

Heck, even giving the passwords does not consent to them accessing the accounts, and unless you gave permission and they used the info to access the account, they would be guilty of Federal crimes (improper access of computer/database/system).

OOh, now there's a thought. The Computer Fraud and Abuse act has turned into a heavy hammer used against ordinary Joes often enough turning simple breachs of Terms of Service agreements or EULAs into felonies. Might be worth a look against the city there. However I'm betting that since it's on a "waiver" form per the original article that it wouldn't apply. We can dream.

[toverman]

The city I work with (as a contractor) requires applicants for police and firefighter jobs to turn over their usernames and passwords for social networking sites. They don't require it of anyone else.