Airline Asks Flight Attendant for Access to Facebook, Bank Accounts

Should employers have access to the social media accounts of their employees? With so many workers having been fired over their social media activity, most employees probably would not want to have to disclose the contents of their tweets and Facebook chats. But fired Air New Zealand flight attendant Gina Kensington has been told by her employer that the only way that she can get her job back is if she first reveals her Facebook password to the airline, reports Television New Zealand, and also gives it access to banking information.

Back in March, Kensington was let go by the airline after it accused her of lying about needing to take two days of sick leave, which she said she needed to care for her ailing sister. When the airline asked to see her social media activity, she refused, and took her case to the country's Employment Relations Authority, claiming wrongful termination. She's now hoping to get her job back. The ERA has yet to issue a final ruling, but the government body already has ruled in favor of the airline, saying Kensington would have to make available both her social media and bank accounts to have a chance at getting her job back. New Zealand legal experts are speaking out against the decision, meanwhile, calling it "intrusive."