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transcript
Social Media and Background Checks
Information Privacy and Data ProtectionLexpert Seminar
Lyndsay A. Wasser December 9, 2013
Social Media – Recruitment
Social Media can be a great tool for recruitment:
o LinkedIn
o Facebook
Referrals
Application Tools
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Social Media – Recruitment (cont’d)
Develop clear guidelines/policies
Retain control to avoid potential misrepresentations:
o Only allow authorized personnel to make postings
o Control the message
o Provide training
o Monitor activities
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Social Media – Background Checks
Benefits of social media background checks:
o Discover whether candidate presents him/herself professionally
o Assess written communication skills
o Determine whether person is a “good fit”
o Check qualifications
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Information posted online is still “personal information”
Personal information is broadly defined, with few exceptions
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Publically Available Information – Defined narrowly under PIPEDA, Alberta PIPA and B.C. PIPA:o Telephone directories
o Certain registries
o Publications available to the public
Quebec – Information that is “by law public”
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Most PI posted in social media is not “publically available” or “by law public”
Alberta PIPA has been declared unconstitutional
o Alberta (Information and Privacy Commissioner) v. UFCW, Local 401
o How will it be amended?
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Consider requirements of applicable privacy legislation:
o Notice/Consent
o Reasonableness & Collection Limitations
o Ensure information is accurate and up-to-date
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
PIPEDA and Quebec Act require consent
Alberta PIPA and BC PIPA each require notice
Reasonableness & Collection Limitations
o Irrelevant information
Outdated/inaccurate information
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Privacy Commissioner Guidelines – Do’s:
o Review applicable laws
o Consider purposes of checks
o Consider alternatives
o Identify types of PI likely to be collected
o Identify risks
o Have appropriate policies, procedures and controls
o Obtain consent/provide notice
o Provide access
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Privacy Commissioner Guidelines – Don’ts:o Wait to evaluate compliance
o Assume check will only reveal relevant PI
o Assume individual will not find out
o Try to avoid privacy obligations
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Other jurisdictions:
o Jones v. Tsige – New common law tort of intrusion upon seclusion
o NDP case – Employment application requiring social media passwords
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Consider other applicable laws:
o Human rights laws prohibit discrimination on the basis of factors such as social condition, source of income, political beliefs, criminal conviction, mental or physical disability (including drug/alcohol addiction), family status, marital status, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy/childbirth, sex/gender, age, religion/creed, nationality/citizenship, national/ethnic/place of origin, ancestry, and race/colour
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Social Media – Background Checks (cont’d)
Best Practices:
o Obtain consent/provide notice
o Conduct check after a conditional offer of employment has been made
o Limit check to available information
o Provide training to hiring managers/human resources staff
o Document reasons for hiring decisions
o Retain records
o Implement appropriate security measures
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees
Must balance:
o Employer’s ability to manage the workplace
o Employee privacy rights
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees (cont’d)
Discharge may be appropriate where postings:
o Harm the employer’s reputation
o Render the employee unable to perform his/her duties
o Breach the law or employer’s policies
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees(cont’d)
Relevant factors:
o Employee’s conduct in the investigation
o Content of postings
o Personal factors
o Conduct of employer
o Social media policies
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees(cont’d)
Lougheed Imports Ltd. (c.o.b. West Coast Mazda)
o Postings - offensive, insultingand disrespectful
o Urged people not to spend their moneyat West Coast Mazda
o Dishonest during investigation
o Termination upheld
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees (cont’d)
Dishonesty cases – Employees claiming to be disabled:
o Riding speedboats
o Painting their house
o Participating in triathlons
o Modeling in Cuba
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Social Media – Disciplining Employees(cont’d)
Discipline cases rarely consider privacy legislation
Bottom line – There is some risk
Consider best practices outlined earlier to reduce risk
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