Should employers be allowed to ask for an employee's social networking Research Paper

Should employers be allowed to ask for an employee's social networking information Can an employee's Facebook or Twitter activity impact their job Is this fair Necessary - Research Paper Example â€Å"Traditional social networks have expanded from a few dozen acquaintances to hundreds of friends, friends of friends, connections and followers† (Kelleher, 2009). Employees’ use of social media websites is a matter of huge concern for some employers, while others are indifferent to the employees’ Facebook and Twitter activities. In either case, employers have very little control over their employees’ social media activities. Employers cannot deny the employees’ right to use these websites. This paper explores this matter from numerous dimensions. Social media websites are places of casual chit chat. They are forums where juniors can interact with their seniors in a comparatively casual way. Sometimes, managers and leaders have a rosy view about letting their subordinates the freedom to ask them personal questions or interact with them on an equal level. When a manager gets a friend request from an employee, he/she may not want to accept that, yet he/she half-heartedly accepts the request just to keep his relationship with him/her good. Some employees tend to have separate work and social identities and yet there are others who don’t differentiate between the two. This lack of dual identity is not always appreciated by others. Many people are very particular about not discussing business issues outside the workplace. When a subordinate or manager does discuss them on Facebook or Twitter, this may be very irritating for the other person. Many employees have been fired in the past for discussing their job related issues on the Facebook and Twitter. â€Å"Five workers fired for complaining about their jobs on Facebook will go back to work after the National Labor Relations Board ruled in their favor, affirming workers can safely vent their frustrations about the workplace on social networks† (Forbes, 2011). This raises challenges for the governing bodies that have to take a lot of criticism both if they decide in favor of the employees or