Case Analysis

Privacy in the Workplace: Where Do We Draw the Line?

Cearra Tabb

Writ 300.BUS6

October 24, 2013

Symptoms

Within the last decade, the introduction of social media has changed the face of the world tremendously. We have merged into this “Age of Sharing”- an age in which people tell the world all of their information: what they are doing, who they are with, what they are eating, where they are, etc. The amount of information available on social media is plentiful-and often blurred between work and personal use. The line we draw between what our coworkers and employers read about us and what our friends read about us has vanished. This alone has created a larger set of problems.

Most employers will now search for ones Facebook and go through their page if they can during the hiring process. Employers do this to see if they can find any incriminating information or any other information that may be of interest to them before they even hire them. This is mostly done to ensure that the applicant would be suitable for the position, but at which point is the line drawn? The lack of privacy amongst employers has expanded since the introduction of social media and will continue to grow as more and more people continue to share their lives-personal and work related- with the world.

The worst part about digging through employees and prospective employees profiles is most of them are completely unaware that they are even being looked at. There are no warnings on these checks, and as long as someone’s page is not listed as private, an employer can gain full access to someone’s profile.

The question may be asked, “Well why post it if you do not want it to be seen?” While it is true that the users mostly control what is posted on their page, the real question is, “What gives companies the right to go through a prospective employee social media profile?” When a company does this they are blurring the line between one’s personal life and...