[Sloth]

Actually, whether public or private, no company has any legitimate power to control the lawful activities of any employee off-site and off company time.

Where would the government get the "legitimate" right to FORCE you, as an employer, to employ people you don't want?

[monday]

"Where would the government get the "legitimate" right to FORCE you, as an employer, to employ people you don't want?"

They do. It's called non discrimination laws and are designed to "force" employers to employ people they don't necessarily want. Where have you been?

[metalurgist]

Where would the government get the "legitimate" right to FORCE you, as an employer, to employ people you don't want?

Ever hear of affirmative action?

[SAJ]

Employment in a private (i.e. non-governmental) enterprise is entirely subject to very long-standing principles of law.

To be sure, these vary **somewhat** from state to state, but the general -- and in most cases held to be overriding -- principle is that the employer is merely a lessor of labour.

The employer has some (quite arguable as to degree) control of behaviour while the employee is on-site and/or while on company ''time'' while off-site, but is unable in any fashion to control the behaviour of the employee off-site and off-time, so long as the employee is not violating one or another statute.

As Mr. Casey Stengel once famously noted: ''Ya could look it up.''

FReegards!