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> From: <peemo -at- hotmail -dot- com>
> > At end of application, there is a blanket statement saying in
> > effect,
> > that they may contact references, past employers, and *anyone* else
> > who might know the applicant and ask them questions about "employment
> > and *personal* history." I'm certain employment laws differ from state
> > to state and I am not asking whether the laws having an applicant sign
> > this?
> Unless you're sufficiently active in some national or local group
> related to
> your work or personal life or the prospective employer is the Dept of
Homeland
> Security, it's not likely that a prospective employer will make
> much of an effort find "anyone" to contact other than the names you
provide.
What I think this is intended to cover is cases where someone who works
there used to work with you, or goes to your church, or has a
friend-of-a-friend whose kid is in your kid's Little League, etc. In the
mid-sized city where I live, it's not uncommon to be able to discover
contacts of this kind within the software industry.
Without this type of release, using "backchannel" references (i.e., asking
people about you whose names you didn't give them) can give you grounds to
sue them (for similar reasons as employers have been sued for giving more
than employment confirmation).
In general, I'd say it's not in your interest to agree to this, because it
takes the reference process out of your control. But, the employer is in the
position of power, so it is in your interest to agree to any condition that
doesn't grossly violate your rights, if it will enhance the odds that they
will consider your application.
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