Would you give a potential employer your password

As I understand on hearing about this issue,Facebook would have a problem with you giving out your password for the site to a third party,so it would seem that you then get to choose between saying no to the prospective employer with whatever resulting consequences for your employment prospects that might have,or possibly facing the music for breaching FB's confidentiality,and possibly having your account pulled...yay...

no i wouldn't give my password to them even if they asked me because there aren't any reasons concerning your hiring position that you must share your password with them probably i would think this work place wan't serious enough if they asked things like that!!

Categorically no. My private life is my private life and unless (in very particular and special circumstances) there is anything at all which might influence my performance or suitability as an employee, then that is a different matter but it STILL would not give an employer - let alone a potential employer - the right to ask for my password and therefore access to my account. I might - given some VERY cogent reasons - agree to show them certain details of my account (but only if I were in control of the log-in at all times) or allow 'friend' status to certain specific people.

No, because that is mixing business with pleasure and though I have nothing to hide, if I end up with an antisemitic employer, he would not even consider hiring me..

We heard about it too even here in Romania and were amazed of how stupid some people (yes i mean the employer) to ask for that sensitive information. It was a violation of privacy and not at all okay to do so even if in the private sectore, privacy is still a basic right. As long as the employer is okay with a friendship on Facebook, that's okay but that's it, i'm not giving my password for a job.

No. I have never heard of a employer that would want to snoop around. Are you sure that those employers arent just scams? It is very weird for them to ask you for your password. My password is the similar to my other passwords. SO if I gave the employer my password, he might guess my other passwords. So this is really a no no for me! I'd rather work in a laverage paying job as long as the employer is nice and friendly.

Nope. I would delete my Facebook account before I would give the password to anyone, especially an employer and more especially a potential employer. They have no right to ask that. Or maybe I'd ask for their password in exchange.

Personally, there is NO WAY that I would ever do this. It is bad enough they can find out about you, etc. really easy if they try anyways, but to deliberately come out and ask for your passwords, etc. Isn't that like delving into too much of your life? But from what I have heard, there are people who have been let go just because of things they post on Facebook about their boss, etc. so you never know who is really watching.

I almost never give out passwords to anything to anyone. I have a book of them. Hubby knows where to look if he needed them, but other than that, I do not believe in giving away my right to privacy. I do not have anything online that I am ashamed of, and they can search for me, but I still maintain my own passwords.

I read about that, and was thinking about doing a discussion. Anyway, not sure. In this economy, I guess employers think they can ask for things they'd never have done in an economy where there was a shortage of employees. I'd like to think that I'd say no, because it's an invasion of privacy, and they are welcome to look at what's on my public profile, but if I were in bad financial circumstances, I just don't know.

I would not. What goes on on my facebook stays on my facebook, and anything I've done privately on there needs to stay as such. I imagine a lot of people would quit or not apply at all to a place like this once it was requested. As you mentioned, I can understand as a friend but that is it, that is all I would allow.

No, I would'nt and no company should have that right to for a job. Let's see, are they going to give us their password for their sites? I doubt that. I can see if you are on their company website, then they have a right to monitor what is happening in and around their business, otherwise we may all just give up having a personnal and private life if this is to be. If people did do this, are they going to be fired because we chose to change our pass word and did'nt update with our employers? This is socially and politically incorrect and an infringement into or life. What is this world coming to. Next, they would want our email passwords. This door needs to be kept shut and not go there, otherwise a can of rotten worms are going to just start spreading. It won't end there, and we all know it.

Never. I might as well give them access to my email, my bank account numbers, the keys to my house, and hand over my computer. This is none of their business. I don't see why companies insist on violating peoples' personal privacy for the sake of preserving their corporate 'values' and 'beliefs'. I know a lot of companies are asking people not to organize dissent on their pages, but outright snooping around on a person's profile is too much. I couldn't give up my privacy for any type of salary. The way I see it, if you are willing to cave in to those types of 'requests' then you have been bought, not hired. No amount of money is worth me compromising my personal life. I already had my privacy unwillingly compromised. Unfortunately, it is because of companies intimidation against people that our ability to speak out against those who are doing wrong is being compromised.

Yes, I do think that is kinda a bit over the line. I would feel real uncomfortable with giving out my password for facebook or any other social networking site. Because I don't see myself as a trouble maker. I would also feel a little uncomfortable with being a friend with my boss or manager. I just feel my social networking site or my facebook is something private and done outside of the workplace.

No, I wouldn't. It isn't right and I would never give out my password. They may befriend me if they wish but asking for my password isn't right. As you said, I have nothing to hide...but I wouldn't like strangers going through my personal messages and pictures.

Hi Sacmom, Oh no. That is just a bit too far. I would be very leary of even wanting to work for the type of boss that would request such a thing. It sounds to me that it might end up being a miserable place to work. That is a complete invasion of privacy and not just for you. Just think about it. With your password, your boss would be able to get into all your private e-mails etc. I have people that send me some very private and personal stuff through e-mails. I realize as I'm sure they do that it is the internet and it's risky but still....I am not going to for any amount of money allow someone to read their personal stuff. I am almost willing to bet that it would be found illegal for a company to request such information. What kind of work was this?

Most definitely not. That gives anyone that has FULL access to your account, security settings and could even go on and masquerade as you. This also gives someone access to any accounts you have used facebook as your logon for - such as something like good reads or a game site. One would really have to consider if they wanted to work for a company that doesnt respect privacy.

See also http://www.mylot.com/w/discussions/2641593.aspx Lash

Nope. Not ever. If an employer wanted to "friend" me so he could see my profile, I might would do that depending on how badly I wanted the job, but I would NEVER give them my password. That opens up a whole lot of privacy issues. Recenly my job forced us to sign a sheet that said we would not ever say anything bad about the company, its employees or its customers in blogs or social media. My boss and I got in a huge fight about that. Freedom of speech and all. And I work retail, not some "top secret" government job. He asked me, "Why would you WANT to talk bad about the company." I told him, "Sometimes It needs talking bad about. Like, when a customer calls me a Fat a** then I'm sure as heck going to go on my FB and let the whole world know that happned to me" In the end I told him I'd sign the slip, I'd remove my place of employment from my FB page and I would continue to say whatever the heck I wanted.

i would never give any password to anyone.i simply can't see any reason why they need the facebook pass.it is true that addind you as friends they can see what is on your face book,but having your pass means so much more,like posting content and other stuff.i believe that id stealing on social sites has reached a high level.i would find another job for sure.is somehow like asking your credit card pass.