Employers asking applicants for Facebook, Twitter passwords

Browsing someone's publicly available information on Facebook is not an invasion of privacy. It's part of due diligence to see whether the person involved will make poor decisions without thought.

Asking for a person's online user names and passwords is the invasion of privacy. It's the cyber equivalent of asking someone for a key to the applicant's house to snoop around and look for stuff.

I'm fortunate that I'm in a position where if I were to interview for a new position, I could easily say, "thanks, but no thanks" and end the interview on the spot by getting up and walking out if I were asked for passwords and user IDs. Unfortunately, too many people aren't in that position.

As for two-week notices, it depends what state you're in. Many states are at-will states, which technically gives both employer and employee the right to end the employment relationship at a moment's notice. Doesn't necessarily mean it should happen at all times, but it does from time to time.

If I were in an abusive employment situation, and I knew the employer made a habit of firing people who gave notice and I found a better job, I would probably walk out without warning or send a resignation notice effective immediately.