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One of the recent thought experiments I've been pondering: "What if there was a blacklist that you would join by taking/continuing employment at facebook?" The

One of the recent thought experiments I've been pondering: "What if there was a blacklist that you would join by taking/continuing employment at facebook?" The idea being that companies would agree to a pact in which they would blacklist anyone who works for facebook. What would be the consequences? Some sub-questions: 1. Would a blacklist be legal? Do employment laws prohibit hiring decisions based on one's prior employment? 2. Would companies agree to join the pact? 2.a If tech workers were unionized, would the union have any power to persuade companies to join a pact? 3. What effect would a functioning blacklist have on facebook? * The only effect I can thing of is FB would have to start paying more to retain/attract employees. .... This is all just a thought experiment. A what-if question. I'm not seriously proposing a blacklist. I'm just curious about what would happen if one where implemented.

Majestic121 5y ago
I guess the consequence would be to have a list of pretty good engineer at (maybe) lower prices for other companies, which would results in a competitive disadvantage. It would also probably have a chilling effect on other potential hires : I know that I would think twice to work for a company that has this kind of blacklist. And if they do have a blacklist, I would think it thrice if they put in a company like Facebook, when other companies have a way more disastrous effect on the world in general, even if there is more publicity about facebook at the moment. Finally, it would definitely be illegal to have at least european people on this list, but hopefully it would also be illegal in other jurisdictions.
erehweb 5y ago
What incentive would any individual company have to join such a blacklist? Re 1, California says you can't refuse to hire someone because of criminal history (https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/labor/discrimination/ban-the-box/ https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/labor/discrimination/ban-the-bo...), so refusing to hire b/c they worked for FB sounds like it would be doubtful.
- waltbosz 5y ago
  I didn't really imagine any sort of incentive to join the pact. The motivation to join would be something akin to a protest against facebook's product. The goal would be to make it more difficult for facebook's product to exist. I did consider laws that prohibit asking about criminal history. I don't think those specific laws would apply, as they are designed to help the previously incarcerated re-enter society through employment. That said, I could see a court challenge to the blacklist with those laws being cited during arguments.
  - filoleg 5y ago
    > I didn't really imagine any sort of incentive to join the pact. The motivation to join would be something akin to a protest against facebook's product. The second a company does something like this (aka no real incentive event that can only potentially cause damage, solely as a "protest") is the second that company is going to look like a pretty bad place to work at. Mostly because it just means they care more about public outrage and putting on a show than actually doing their work. And despite not having much interest in working for FB, I have way less interest in working at a place where other employees (and the leadership) are supportive of such proposals.

Majestic121 5y ago

I guess the consequence would be to have a list of pretty good engineer at (maybe) lower prices for other companies, which would results in a competitive disadvantage. It would also probably have a chilling effect on other potential hires : I know that I would think twice to work for a company that has this kind of blacklist. And if they do have a blacklist, I would think it thrice if they put in a company like Facebook, when other companies have a way more disastrous effect on the world in general, even if there is more publicity about facebook at the moment. Finally, it would definitely be illegal to have at least european people on this list, but hopefully it would also be illegal in other jurisdictions.

erehweb 5y ago

What incentive would any individual company have to join such a blacklist? Re 1, California says you can't refuse to hire someone because of criminal history (https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/labor/discrimination/ban-the-box/ https://www.shouselaw.com/ca/labor/discrimination/ban-the-bo...), so refusing to hire b/c they worked for FB sounds like it would be doubtful.

waltbosz 5y ago
I didn't really imagine any sort of incentive to join the pact. The motivation to join would be something akin to a protest against facebook's product. The goal would be to make it more difficult for facebook's product to exist. I did consider laws that prohibit asking about criminal history. I don't think those specific laws would apply, as they are designed to help the previously incarcerated re-enter society through employment. That said, I could see a court challenge to the blacklist with those laws being cited during arguments.
- filoleg 5y ago
  > I didn't really imagine any sort of incentive to join the pact. The motivation to join would be something akin to a protest against facebook's product. The second a company does something like this (aka no real incentive event that can only potentially cause damage, solely as a "protest") is the second that company is going to look like a pretty bad place to work at. Mostly because it just means they care more about public outrage and putting on a show than actually doing their work. And despite not having much interest in working for FB, I have way less interest in working at a place where other employees (and the leadership) are supportive of such proposals.