Employers want access to your social media accounts

Would you feel comfortable with your employer snooping around on your social media accounts?

In Florida, employers are currently allowed to demand username and passwords for social media of their current employees and potential hires. I’m talking Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and other popular sites.

Once they have your username and password, they can go on a fishing expedition looking for whatever they want on you. Should you refuse to divulge your digits, you’re kicked to the curb.

There’s been a bill introduced in Florida that would bar employers from requiring access to your social accounts. It would only allow access under the strictest circumstances where social may have been used to harm a business.

Yet The Orlando Sentinel  reports businesses in Florida are steaming mad and fighting hard to prevent any protections for employees.

It’s mind-blowing to me that employers would think it’s the right thing to do, to be able to violate your privacy and embark on a wild fishing expedition on a whim. Shame on these employers in Florida!

As I write this, we have 16 states that limit employers’ ability to access your social media account. That should be an all 50 state thing.

For further reading:

• Employers ask job seekers for Facebook log-ins
• Employers do social media background checks