Social Media and Hiring

I attended a New York State Society of CPAs MAP Committee meeting recently and the topic was labor law including social media considerations. The presenters were Jeff Naness and Mark Reiss. What I want to share here is that because of the internet and exploding social media websites, there is a plethora of information available about prospective job candidates, so business owners and hiring managers should keep in mind the following:

1. Nothing has changed regarding what you can and cannot base employment decisions on (e.g. certain items are still protected age, race, marital status, sex religion and disability).
2. You can use social media resources to gain additional information about a person.
3. Don't assume that all you read or see is 100% accurate.
4. Your decision to hire or not to hire has to be solely based on capabilities and qualifications.

There was also a good discussion about family leave regulations as there have been several amendments or addendums. If anybody has questions about these topics, please contact me and I'll be happy to connect you to Jeff or Mark.