[jonno]

...It is that simple...

Ding, ding, ding. You've finally got it - exactly wrong.

This is the whole point of the discussion. Have you ever had a mountain lion in your living room? Well, no problem, just throw him out - IT IS THAT SIMPLE! No. the smart home owner takes steps to prevent the lion from getting into his house in the first place.

It's not much different in business. Once an individual is hired - they're IN - they have ACCESS. Wouldn't you rather know if they had a history of drunkenness, philandering, racism - or worse yet, that they voted for Barrack Obama?

Knowledge is power. And if you're the smart business owner, you protect yourself first and foremost by the accumulation - and wise use of - the knowledge of who are your employees.

[kevkrom]

It's not much different in business. Once an individual is hired - they're IN - they have ACCESS. Wouldn't you rather know if they had a history of drunkenness, philandering, racism - or worse yet, that they voted for Barrack Obama?It's not much different in business. Once an individual is hired - they're IN - they have ACCESS. Wouldn't you rather know if they had a history of drunkenness, philandering, racism - or worse yet, that they voted for Barrack Obama?

That just bolsters my point -- if the individual would give up confidential information about themselves to get the job, why would I trust them not to give up confidential information about the job to someone else for some reason?

Thee are lots of ways to vet someone for a job. Asking them to violate proper safeguards of information is not -- because it sets exactly the wrong precedent.

[GonzoGOP]

Knowledge is power. And if you're the smart business owner, you protect yourself first and foremost by the accumulation - and wise use of - the knowledge of who are your employees.

And knowledge of what can get you sued is an important part of keeping your business. Check out someones facebook page would be a good move. Read the profile if it is marked public, also a good move. Any public information is fair game. But if the profile is marked private you can go no farther because several of the fields on the profile are on the big NO NO list of questions you can't ask. If they volunteer the info by not marking it private that's fine. But if you ask you end up facing Obama's National Labor Relations Board. A smart business owner doesn't pick that kind of fight.

[CodeToad]

“Access” is a stupid excuse to violate privacy. They are hiring me to perform a job not to be their gaurdian of their life. Jeez you’re really a liberal about this aren’t you?

To you an employer has the right not to hire based on political affiliation, personal activities, not liking your freinds, marital status, etc. To you there are no personal privacy or property rights. To you the employer is your slave master. Sorry there sweet pea, but we don’t have slavery any more. You have right to privacy. You have the right not to have someone demand your personal life be what they want or else they do not hire you.

We have laws in this country to protect ourselves from fools like you. If you suck that bad at hiring people, then go out of business like the rest of the idots that do.

[CodeToad]

“Knowledge is power. And if you’re the smart business owner, you protect yourself first and foremost by the accumulation - and wise use of - the knowledge of who are your employees”

Sure, but there are laws about the collection and use. Violate it and you won’t be an employer anymore.