US approves social media background checks for visa applicants

according to Reuters. The new questions, part of an effort to tighten vetting of would-be visitors to the United States, was approved on May 23 by the Office of Management and Budget. The State Department said earlier the tighter vetting would apply to visa applicants “who have been determined to warrant additional scrutiny in connection…

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ODNI issues guidance for social media background checks

Directive 5 – released last week – agencies may “collect, use and retain” an applicant’s “publicly available social media information” during the background investigation process, as long as  it relates to  determining whether or not an applicant should have access to classified information or a sensitive position. Bill Evanina, director of the National Counterintelligence and Security…

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Social media background checks prevalent, but come with pitfalls

Gone are the days when employers had to wait for background check results to arrive in order to dig up any dirt on a job applicant; while savvy employers still conduct all kinds of background checks on their potential employees, you’d be hard-pressed to find an employer that doesn’t review an applicant’s social media profiles,…

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Employers and social media: avoid these 4 background-screening blunders

When employers are looking to hire, there are many things they must be aware of: avoiding discrimination, following the Fair Credit Reporting Act, and not breaking ban-the-box laws, to name a few. Throw a few Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn accounts into the mix, and suddenly making hiring decisions becomes a lot more treacherous. Be smart…

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CareerBuilder releases list of unbelievable excuses for taking sick leave

With the help of a Harris poll, CareerBuilder.com has released this year’s list of “The Most Unbelievable Excuses for Calling in Sick.” The job-search site has been compiling the best and craziest excuses from U.S. workers for the past decade. Would you tell your boss that you couldn’t make it to the office because you…

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Employers and social media: Tennessee law prevents password exchange

Job applicants have long been concerned with how potential employers and social media posts may intersect. Many worry that things they posted years ago might be used against them during the job search, especially if an employer requests access to social media accounts. However, Tennessee has passed a new law that limits what an employer…

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Employers and social media: EEOC considers discrimination laws

Last month, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission held a meeting to discuss how social media impacts the anti-discrimination laws that the EEOC upholds. The EEOC discussed many things about the changing role of employers and social media, but its biggest concern was the way private social media posts have begun to play an increased role…

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