Employers, understandably, want to know what their employees are like outside of the workplace. They also want to learn as much about as possible about job applicants. Employees are the faces of organizations and poor behavior can have impact a business in many ways.
Although employers would like maximum flexibility in seeing how their employees represent the company, on and off work, employees demand, and deserve, privacy when not on the job.
In order to protect the privacy of employers and students, the Michigan Legislature is considering legislation that would prohibit employers and schools from requiring employees and students to disclose information regarding social media accounts, including password and username information. The law would also prevent employers and schools from seeking the information from applicants.
Under the proposed bill, employers and schools would be liable for damages for violating the law. We will let you know if this proposed legislation actually becomes the law in Michigan.
