Or, you receive an anonymous tip to visit the MySpace page of a brand-new employee, and you find screen after screen of negative rantings about how much she hates her job – including possibly defamatory comments about her boss and co-workers.

A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Is it a good idea to surf the Web looking for information about your employees and applicants? And, if so, can you legally use what you find to hire (or fire) those individuals?

In today’s tech-savvy business world, those are tough questions. On the one hand, it’s your job to pick the most qualified candidates to fill openings in your workplace. If you make a mistake using information pulled from the Internet, however, you could face legal problems ranging from discrimination and harassment claims to Fair Credit Reporting Act violations.

During this 90-minute audio conference on April 30, our expert will give you the legal pros and cons of relying on online data when you screen potential and current employees – with a special emphasis on information found via Google, Facebook, MySpace, and other “social networking” sites. You’ll learn when you can use these sites for HR purposes, how to gauge whether what you learn about your workers is true or false, and the types of online material you should never search for.

You and your colleagues will learn:

• The most common mistakes employers make when they check applicants and current employees on the Web
• Which online sites pose the greatest legal threats for employers when used for HR purposes
• When it’s legal to use information found online to evaluate applicants and workers – and what types of online details you must never use or keep (no matter how damaging or relevant it may seem)
• How you can decide whether the information you’ve found online is accurate
• The steps you should take if an applicant or employee claims that your online searches constitute an illegal invasion of privacy
• When your Facebook, MySpace, or Google searches may cross the line into discrimination
• The red flags that you may have violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act when surfing the Web to learn more about applicants or employees – and how to protect yourself

Anthony J. Zaller, Esq., is a partner in the law firm Van Vleck Turner & Zaller in Los Angeles, California. His practice focuses on defending, training, and counseling managers and employers in all areas of labor and employment law, ranging from discrimination and harassment claims to wrongful discharge and wage and hour litigation. He speaks frequently for many trade associations on employment law issues. He earned his law degree from Loyola Law School and his master’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University.

Approved for Recertification Credit

This program has been approved for 1.5 recertification credit hours toward PHR and SPHR recertification through the Human Resource Certification Institute (HRCI). For more information about certification or recertification, please visit the HRCI homepage at www.hrci.org.

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