I don't know why, but this topic makes me think of the Public Enemy song "Fight the Power," hence the title. This has been on my mind for months, and I chose not to write about it, but after being bombarded by the subject the last few days I decided to write about it, but keep specifics out of the scenario. The question is simple: Where should employers and academic institutions draw the line when researching prospective employees/students?
I'm sure everyone will be in agreement that your work history, educational background, and to an extent- criminal history- are fair game. (I say to an extent in criminal history because if you got arrested for too many unpaid traffic tickets, I think it's a bit much to prevent you from obtaining a job or furthering your education, but I digress.) But where do we draw the line? I've heard of interviewers ASKING to see an applicant's Facebook profile. And if you decline, then what? Is it right for them to not hire someone based off them not wanting to divulge that information? If a person's page is public, is it right for a company or institution to not choose someone based off what they see there? Is that not discrimination? As someone who hopes to own my own business one day, and therefore be in the position to be hiring employees, I don't see why whether someone curses, drinks, cross dresses, have an affinity to porn, are Republican or Democrat, et cetera, should matter. I need to know whether or not you have a criminal history, if you've been reliable in work in the past, etc.
Then there's another scenario. Once you are working/attending school somewhere, should that place have a say in what you do outside of work/school? The answer to that should be pretty simple, and that's no. I mean obviously, if you work for a certain business and have access to secrets, you wouldn't want to be posting company business out on social networks, and getting yourself arrested probably isn't a great idea but other than that, who cares? While you are on the job/on campus you are a doctor, lawyer, veterinarian, teacher, nurse, student, whatever, but first and foremost you are a human. You want to go to a bar, drink too much, and dance badly and off beat to todays hottest hits? You should be able to do so without worrying that someone will judge you because of it. I think some people need to look into their own closets for skeletons before trying to control and regulate others. Most people aren't the same at work as they are at home. Maybe you don't curse, so you think it's offensive that a future employee has cursing on their Facebook page. Well maybe someone who doesn't drink finds it offensive that you get drunk at company parties. Just think about it.
Recently a woman was fired over making a comment on Facebook about her boss. They had a policy about making disparaging comments about coworkers or the company on the internet. While doing so may not have been the greatest idea, the first amendment does still exist and we are free to say what we want in this country. The company was sued by the National Labor Relations Board, and a settlement was reached. The company is now changing those policies, and it seems to me many other companies better at least pay attention. (Read more about the case)
Maybe one day things will change, and laws will be more specific about these things, but in an ever-changing world of technology, I doubt that the laws will keep up. Bottom line, a company or a school should be interested in an applicant's background only in a way that will affect their job or academic performance, or the safety of others. Personal lives are and should be just that-- PERSONAL.
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