Monster Exiles Sanctioned Nations Resume References

That is because the job-search site will delete references to seven countries from job postings and resumes, notifying users that “your resume will be altered, removing all sanctioned countries from your resume.” Monster says the action is designed to comply with federal regulations, according to a CNET News.com story.

Job seekers will not be the only ones affected. Employers who are advertising open positions in the black-listed countries will see their postings altered, too. Monster sent e-mail to its customers saying, “The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, as well as some states, maintain(s) sanctions which prohibit US companies from conducting certain business activities with organizations located in or residents of the following countries Burma/Myanmar, Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan or Syria.”

However, questions are being raised as to whether or not the company is required by law to perform the deletions. “Monster took the actions to be in full compliance with US regulations” and consulted with the US Treasury Department first, Monster.com spokesman Kevin Mullins said, according to CNET. Mullins insists that Monster.com will not be changing textual descriptions of jobs that customers type in themselves, such as a US photographer describing work that involved a trip to Burma. Instead, Monster.com said it will remove those seven nations from pop-up lists of countries that customers use to construct their listings and delete existing entries that use those fields from its database.

At least one group, the Washington DC-based American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee (ADC), said that the Web site misunderstood the law. “ADC contacted the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and spoke to the Sanctions Section,” ADC representative Laila Al-Qatami told CNET. “They advised ADC that Monster has misunderstood the regulations. They are not required to remove or modify any data on persons’ resumes.”

“This practice is deeply troubling for the many that post their resumes on Monster.com,” Al-Qatami said. “Altering or hiding information on resumes is not only misleading but also unjustified. Resumes are supposed to be based on truth and fact. Hiding or deleting information unfairly handicaps persons searching for gainful employment, not to mention going against standards of honesty and truthfulness.”