Employer Code of Conduct

1. CODE OF CONDUCT PURPOSE

This Code of Conduct establishes ethical standards for employers using the AccessStudents Platform. By using AccessStudents, employers agree to recruit responsibly, ethically, and legally. Violations may result in account suspension, platform ban, or legal action.

2. CORE PRINCIPLES

• Respect Student Privacy: Honor visibility settings and consent choices
• Ethical Recruiting: Honest job descriptions, fair hiring practices
• Legal Compliance: Follow all employment laws and regulations
• Professional Conduct: Treat students with respect and professionalism
• Data Security: Protect student data from misuse and unauthorized access
• Transparency: Be clear about job terms, compensation, and opportunities

3. STUDENT PRIVACY & VISIBILITY RESPECT

Employers MUST:

• Respect student profile visibility settings (private, limited, public)
• Access student data only for legitimate recruiting purposes
• Not download, scrape, or extract student data without consent
• Not re-disclose student information outside of Platform
• Honor student requests to remove profile from searches
• Not contact students through non-Platform channels without permission
• Obtain explicit consent before sharing student data with team members
• Comply with student blocking/opt-out preferences

Employers MUST NOT:

• Access profiles of students who have not opted into recruiter visibility
• Use automated tools to download or extract student data
• Share student profiles on social media or external job sites
• Use student data for marketing outside of recruiting
• Retain student data after recruiting relationship ends
• Perform background checks without explicit student consent

4. ASSESSMENT DATA HANDLING

Career DNA™ & Behavioral Assessment Rules:

• Only use Career DNA™ as one factor (not sole criterion)
• Do not use to screen out candidates based on personality scores
• Do not discriminate based on protected characteristics
• Apply human judgment in all hiring decisions
• Do not use for psychological diagnosis or prediction
• Follow all employment laws when using behavioral data
• Document that human review occurred for each decision

5. RED FLAGS™ USAGE

Employers Using Red Flags™ MUST:

• Investigate Red Flags™ alerts before making decisions
• Do not automatically reject candidates based on flags
• Consider context and alternative explanations
• Allow student to respond or explain concerning information
• Document investigation and reasoning for decisions
• Not violate employment discrimination laws
• Understand Red Flags™ are algorithmic suggestions, not legal determinations

6. NON-DISCRIMINATION & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Employers MUST Comply With:

• Title VII (Civil Rights): No discrimination by race, color, religion, sex, national origin
• ADA (Disabilities): No discrimination against candidates with disabilities
• ADEA (Age): No age discrimination (40+)
• GINA: No discrimination based on genetic information
• State/Local Laws: Sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, etc.

Employers MUST NOT:

• Request information about protected characteristics
• Use AI systems that have disparate impact on protected groups
• Reject candidates based on disability (without legitimate job reason)
• Make assumptions based on age, gender, or protected characteristics
• Refuse reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities

7. HONEST JOB DESCRIPTIONS & COMPENSATION

Employers MUST:

• Provide accurate, detailed job descriptions
• Disclose compensation clearly (salary range or hourly rate)
• Explain benefits, including remote/flexible work policies
• Be transparent about role responsibilities and expectations
• Disclose whether positions are temporary, contract, or permanent
• Explain onboarding, training, and advancement opportunities
• Disclose travel, relocation, or other requirements
• Update job postings if requirements change

Employers MUST NOT:

• Post misleading or deceptive job descriptions
• Hide compensation information to "screen" candidates
• Misrepresent company culture or work environment
• Claim opportunities that don't exist (bait-and-switch)
• Post duplicate jobs with different descriptions
• Use job postings for market research or data collection

8. PROFESSIONAL & RESPECTFUL OUTREACH

Employers MUST:

• Send professional, respectful outreach messages
• Personalize communications (not mass spam)
• Be clear about purpose: recruiting
• Respect student communication preferences
• Respond to student inquiries within 2 business days
• Honor student opt-out and unsubscribe requests
• Keep communications job-related and professional

Employers MUST NOT:

• Send unsolicited, unprofessional, or harassing messages
• Make sexual, romantic, or personal advances
• Send bulk spam messages
• Contact students at personal phone/email without consent
• Continue contact after student opts out
• Disclose student contact info to others
• Use recruitment as pretext for dating or relationships

9. INTERNSHIP & ENTRY-LEVEL ROLE STANDARDS

Employers MUST:

• Provide meaningful work assignments (not just coffee runs)
• Offer mentorship and skill development opportunities
• Provide clear expectations and feedback
• Disclose compensation (paid, unpaid, course credit)
• Disclose work location (on-site, remote, hybrid)
• Provide reasonable accommodations
• Treat interns with respect and professionalism

Employers MUST NOT:

• Misclassify unpaid internships (labor law violations)
• Use interns for free labor to replace paid employees
• Provide unsafe work conditions
• Harass or discriminate against interns
• Claim interns are not covered by employment laws

10. INTERVIEW & ASSESSMENT CONDUCT

Employers MUST:

• Schedule interviews at mutually agreed times
• Provide interview logistics (date, time, format, duration)
• Use valid, job-related assessments only
• Allow accommodations for candidates with disabilities
• Respect video interview terms (video may be recorded, time limits, etc.)
• Provide feedback or explanation for rejections
• Protect candidate data from unauthorized access

Employers MUST NOT:

• Cancel interviews without notice
• Use assessments unrelated to job requirements
• Record interviews without consent
• Ask illegal or discriminatory questions
• Share candidate videos/assessments with unauthorized parties
• Ghost candidates (disappear without communication)
• Use assessments to screen based on protected characteristics

11. OFFER & HIRING PRACTICES

Employers MUST:

• Provide clear written offer with all terms
• Specify compensation, benefits, start date, location
• Allow reasonable time to accept offer
• Disclose background check policies before hiring
• Honor verbal agreements
• Notify candidates who were not selected
• Maintain hiring documentation (EEOC compliance)

Employers MUST NOT:

• Withdraw offers based on protected characteristics
• Require agreement to non-compete/non-solicit without pay
• Demand repayment of signing bonus unreasonably
• Misrepresent job terms in offer vs. actual role
• Discriminate in offer terms based on any protected characteristic

12. PLATFORM USAGE RULES

Employers MUST:

• Use Platform only for legitimate recruiting
• Maintain accurate company profile information
• Update job postings promptly when filled
• Respond to AccessStudents requests for information
• Comply with Platform terms and policies
• Report any security vulnerabilities responsibly

Employers MUST NOT:

• Attempt to bypass Platform features or restrictions
• Scrape, hack, or misuse Platform data
• Use bots or automated tools to access student data
• Attempt to contact students off-Platform against Platform rules
• Misuse student data for non-recruiting purposes
• Violate terms of service or policies

13. VIOLATIONS & PENALTIES

AccessStudents Takes Violations Seriously

Minor Violations (First Offense):

• Warning and compliance notice
• Requirement to provide corrective action plan
• Monitoring for 30-90 days

Moderate Violations:

• Temporary account suspension (30-90 days)
• Prohibition on new job postings
• Required compliance training

Severe Violations (Harassment, Data Breach, Discrimination):

• Permanent account termination and platform ban
• Referral to law enforcement (if applicable)
• Notification to affected students

14. REPORTING VIOLATIONS

If you witness or experience employer misconduct:

• Report to: conduct@myaccessstudents.com
• Include employer name, specific violations, and evidence
• All reports are investigated thoroughly
• Retaliation against reporters is prohibited and will be punished

15. COMMITMENT TO ETHICAL RECRUITING

By using AccessStudents, employers commit to ethical, respectful, and compliant recruiting practices. We believe that responsible recruiting benefits companies, students, and the talent ecosystem as a whole.

Questions about this Code of Conduct? Contact: conduct@myaccessstudents.com