employers demanding passwords to social media?

[Wally]

I am amazed that this could even go to a bill?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/story/2012/04/24/ns-employers-password-ban.html

are employers actually demanding that employees give up passwords to personal sites?  I cannot beleive or understand why.  what is personal is personal.  what is next keys to their homes so we can check their underwear drawers?

Now I am 100% ok with internet at places of employment being restricted from social media sites and even from personal email websites such as hotmail gmail etc.  I also think access to gaming sites, gambling sites, daytrading software etc all should be banned.  I also have zero problem with all internet traffic at the jobsite being fully monitored.  People are paid to work.

but passwords to Facebook?  unreal.  From the article it looks like it is a preemptive measure and Im ok with this bill being passed to protect workers rights

[jj]

OTOH you can never have too much information on a potential employee. You could find out a lot about character.

[Wally]

OTOH you can never have too much information on a potential employee. You could find out a lot about character.

Lie detecter tests also before hiring and maybe 24 hour video monitoring (im being scarcastic and am assuming JJ is also)

[hfx_chris]

I think it's reasonable for the employer to have somebody follow a potential hire around for a week, get in the car with them, follow them to a bar, sit at the end of the bed and watch them while they sleep, etc.
You could find out a lot about character.

[Wally]

I think it's reasonable for the employer to have somebody follow a potential hire around for a week, get in the car with them, follow them to a bar, sit at the end of the bed and watch them while they sleep, etc.
You could find out a lot about character.

Perhaps blood tests should be taken also to establish bloodlines and detect any possible genetic deficiences.  Brain scans are in order to ensure absolute total mental capacity.  all school report cards going back to Primary and any preschool report cards also. 

[jj]

I think it's reasonable for the employer to have somebody follow a potential hire around for a week, get in the car with them, follow them to a bar, sit at the end of the bed and watch them while they sleep, etc.
You could find out a lot about character.

[nsbabe]

Why in the HELL would an employer ask for it? I would delete My facebook account before allowing someone to invade MY privacy, I am FANATIC about my FB, ONLY CLOSE friends and family, I have Been on Facebook I Believe since 2008, VERY early, before most of my friends, and I only have Just over 100 friends.....Anyone demanded Something private like my Password, Than Can KISS MY ASS

[hfx_chris]

Same here really. My employer doesn't need to know about my private life. Anything I want the public to know about me on Facebook I will make available to the public. If it's not available to the public, hey guess what, it's private.

I do kind of wonder just how often this actually occurs. Is it really widespread enough that we really need to be creating laws for this sort of thing?

[hfx_chris]

Another thought. Facebook's terms of use specifically says you cannot give out your login information to anybody. So if you think about it, a potential employer is asking you to violate another company's terms of service, which can be thought of as a contract. I would counter that with, do you really want to hire somebody who is willing to break contracts so easily? Wouldn't that make me... dishonest?

[Wally]

Same here really. My employer doesn't need to know about my private life. Anything I want the public to know about me on Facebook I will make available to the public. If it's not available to the public, hey guess what, it's private.

I do kind of wonder just how often this actually occurs. Is it really widespread enough that we really need to be creating laws for this sort of thing?

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I am sure that this is not happening on any scale anywhere.  It just sounds too incredulous.  Maybe if you are an agent assigned to protectthe president of the US.

But this is a bill being introduced in NS legislature???  Maybe they should introduce a bill that your employer cannot ask you to work naked also.  sometimes these thiungs are just ridiculous