Last week, Bozeman, Mont., began requiring all job applicants to provide a list of all “current personal or business websites, web pages, or memberships on any Internet-based chat rooms, social clubs or forums, to include but not limited to: Facebook, Google, Yahoo, YouTube.com, MySpace, etc,” including their user names, other login info, and even their passwords. The Delaware Employment Law Blog and the California Employment Law Report have the details. Just as quickly, World of Work reports, the city reversed course and got rid of this awful practice. for other news in the world of background checks and employee screening, I recommend the Employeescreen IQ Blog on a background check that should have been done, and the Connecticut Employment Law Blog, on the risks of doing one incorrectly.
In the last couple of weeks, I’ve written a lot about social networking (Do you know? Facebook and Twitter and blogs, oh my! What is social networking and why should you care? and Drafting a social networking policy: 7 considerations). Kris Dunn, The HR Capitalist, has his own take on the issue.
Steph Gregor, in the Columbus, Ohio, Other Paper, writes on workplace lactation rights (and quotes me).
Dan Schwartz at the Connecticut Employment Law Blog has a good, basic lesson on “cloud computing.”
Jay Shepherd at Gruntled Employees, on why you shouldn’t nickel-and-dime your employees.
LaborPains notes that even the unions cannot agree that the mandatory arbitration provisions of the EFCA are a good idea.
Mike Elk at Today’s Workplace comments that he stopped drinking Yuengling beer because it is no longer a union shop (politics would never come between me and my favorite beer).At HR Observations, Michael Haberman observes that labor unions are bad.
The FMLA Blog points out that just because an employee happens to be on FMLA leave does not mean that he or she cannot be fired.
Walter Olson’s Overlawyered reports that per a settlement, UPS will now permit the hard-of-hearing to drive certain trucks.
Mitchell Rubenstein at the Adjunct Law Prof Blog, on whether keystroke monitoring of employees’ computers violates federal law.
Another week brings us news of more new pending federal workplace laws. The Warren & Hays Employment Blog discusses the Family Friendly Workplace Act, which would allow for comp time in lieu of overtime. The Washington Labor & Employment Wire reports on another attempt at the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, which would add protections for actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity to Title VII.
Hector Chichoni at the Florida Employment & Immigration Blog thoroughly dissects the issues that could arise when layoffs hit employees with H-1B visas.
Ann Bares at Compensation Force tackles the issue of the lingering effect of furloughs.
Darcy Dees at Compensation Cafe opines on leveraging flexible work schedules as rewards for good employees.
WIRTW is taking next Friday off to celebrate our nation’s freedom, and will return on July 10 with a supersized two-week edition.