Does an employment web-site have a duty to only accept legitimate job listings?
Get Legal Help Today
Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save
Secured with SHA-256 Encryption
Does an employment web-site have a duty to only accept legitimate job listings?
A CA company posts jobs from Korean education companies. The website also hosts message boards for teachers working in Korea. Messages warning of problem companies are deleted again and again. Are they at all liable for advertising a job opening for a company that has a track record of being a terrible employer? These companies are known for ripping off their new hires,
Asked on May 9, 2011 under General Practice, California
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 13 years ago | Contributor
They are almost certainly not liable. The law protects publishers generally from being liable for the bad acts of those they accept advertisments, job listings, etc. from--and that is even more so in the case of internet "publishing" than traditional print media. If the job board company were actually complicit or conspiring with the bad actors, that might be different; but if it's an arms length relationship simply accepting their posts, they are not. Also, you say the Korean companies have a track record of being terrible employers--that would not in and of itself make them liable, either. As long as they disclose the terms up front, do not lie, and follow their own country's laws, they can be awful employers and bad to work for without incurring liability.
IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.