The former general counsel of the EEOC under President Obama leads a team that is giving many, many employers an early holiday nightmare. A union and a class of plaintiffs are seeking damages from a class of employers; if your company uses Facebook for recruiting, your company might be a defendant in this case.
The allegations include the claim that, when setting up a job ad on Facebook, employers designate the group they want to reach, by location, age, and gender. The identification might be by age range, or by demographic euphemisms like “Millennial” or “Young and hip.” Those of us who remember recruiting before the internet will be aware of the risks involved in targeted advertising. This is the same thing, but with thousands of employers at risk in a single lawsuit.
The case is Communications Workers of America et a. v. T-Mobile US, Inc., et al., Case No. 5:17-cv-07232 (N.D. Cal.). Watch this space for updates.
Happy holidays!