The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) just announced they will be holding a meeting on March 12, 2014 to discuss the use of social media in the workplace and its impact on the enforcement of equal employment opportunity laws. According to the EEOC’s announcement, the participants will address a range of issues, including recruitment
New Jersey Ban On Employer Access To Social Media Accounts
As we have previously anticipated, yesterday New Jersey joined the multitude of other states which have enacted laws limiting employer access to employee social media accounts.
The law prohibits employers from requesting or requiring a current or prospective employee to provide or disclose any user name or password, or in any way provide the employer access to, a personal account. 
Additionally, the law goes on to prohibit employers from requiring an individual to waive or limit any protection granted under the law as a condition of applying for or receiving an offer of employment. Specifically, the law states that an agreement to waive any right or protection is against the public policy of New Jersey and is void and unenforceable.
The law also prohibits employer retaliation or discrimination against an individual because the individual: refuses to provide or disclose any user name or password, or in any way provide access to, a personal account; reports an alleged violation to the Commission of Labor and Workforce Development; testifies, assists, or participates in an investigation, proceeding, or action concerning a violation of the law; or otherwise opposes a violation of the law.
Notably, the law permits the Commissioner of Labor and Workforce Development to collect civil penalties in an amount not to exceed $1,000 for the first violation and $2,500 for each subsequent violation.
Based on the Governor’s recommendations, the final law does not prevent an employer from implementing and enforcing a policy pertaining to the use of an employer issued electronic communications device or any accounts or services provided by the employer or that the employee uses for business purposes.
While the law prohibits certain employer activity, it does permit employers to conduct investigations regarding: work-related employee misconduct based on information about activity on social media; or an employee’s actions based on information about the unauthorized transfer of an employer’s proprietary, confidential, or financial information to social media. Logically, the law also does not prevent an employer from viewing, accessing, or utilizing information about a current or prospective employee that can be obtained in the public domain.
It appears that New Jersey is just the next in the line of states which will adopt similar provisions limiting employer access to an employee’s personal social media accounts. While it is difficult to say the impact the law will have, at a minimum, employers must begin to assess their own internal hiring and human resources practices to make sure they comply with this law.Continue Reading New Jersey Ban On Employer Access To Social Media Accounts
Deletion of Facebook Page = Spoliation
A New Jersey District Court has sanctioned a personal injury plaintiff for spoliation following the plaintiff’s deletion of his Facebook account which defendants were trying to access.
The defendant’s discovery requests asked for documents or records of “wall posts, comments, status updates or personal information posted or made by plaintiff on Facebook and/or any social
“Friend” Request Lands Attorneys In Hot Water
Two New Jersey defense lawyers face attorney ethics charges in connection with the way they allegedly accessed Facebook. Regardless of how these charges are resolved, the facts in the case should serve as a reminder to attorneys to become more familiar with social media, and perhaps be more specific in the direction they give to
Monitoring and Accessing Social Networking Content–New Jersey District Court Weighs In Again
The District Court of New Jersey recently denied an employer’s motion to dismiss a former employee’s causes of action for invasion of privacy following a supervisor’s alleged unauthorized access to the employee’s Facebook account. 
In Ehling v. Monmouth-Ocean Hospital Service Corp., the plaintiff, a registered nurse and paramedic, alleged that the defendants engaged in a
Recruiter Misuse of Social Media Can Increase Risk of Liability
Recruiters are increasingly turning to social media to screen and recruit candidates. Jobvite’s 2012 Social Recruiting Survey found that 92% of respondents plan to use social media for recruiting. Often, recruiters are viewing and considering information that should not be utilized in the hiring process. LinkedIn is replete with information that should not be considered