Job interviews are a chance to display your skills and fit for a position. However, some questions are not only inappropriate but also illegal. These inquiries can lead to discrimination lawsuits and violate employment laws protecting your privacy and rights. Let’s take a look at ten such questions.
What is Your Marital Status?
In many countries, including the United States, questions about marital status are not allowed. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) defends you against prejudice based on marital status. The question may also mean the role may demand personal commitment.
Do You Have Children?
Inquiries about children unfairly assume that parents are less committed to their work. This can create bias against candidates with families. Your ability to succeed in the job should never be judged based on your parental status, and such inquiries go against the law in hiring practices.
Are You Pregnant or Planning to Be?
Under the Pregnancy Discrimination Act (PDA), companies cannot disfavor job applicants on the grounds of pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions. This includes questions about pregnancy status or future plans for pregnancy during the hiring process.
What’s Your Age?
Talking about your age in an interview can lead to age discrimination, which federal law prohibits. Age is just a number; it should never factor into hiring decisions. Whether you’re young or seasoned, your experience and skills matter most.
Do You Have Any Disabilities?
Instead of focusing on whether you have a disability, employers should be assessing if you can perform the essential job functions. Asking this question upfront violates the Americans with Disabilities Act, which safeguards against discrimination in hiring based on physical or mental health.
What Religion Do You Practice?
It’s important that hiring is based on merit, not faith. So, your religious beliefs should remain private and never influence hiring decisions. When an employer asks about your religion, it introduces the potential for discrimination.
What Is Your Sexual Orientation?
Your sexual orientation is your personal matter. It has no bearing on your job performance. Asking about this in an interview is not only intrusive but also illegal. The Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Equality Act protect against bias based on sexual orientation in employment.
Have You Ever Been Arrested?
Questioning about past arrests can be misleading and unfair. An arrest doesn’t mean you’ve been convicted and shouldn’t impact your job chances. Many states have “Ban the Box” laws that limit such questions to ensure candidates are considered based on their abilities, not their past.
What Is Your Political Affiliation?
A candidate’s political stance is irrelevant here, and inquiring about political affiliation risks introducing bias into the process. Therefore, political views shouldn’t have any place in hiring decisions. It’s also possible that such interviews are just scams in the name of job offerings.
What Is Your Race or Ethnicity?
What does your race or ethnicity have to do with the job role you are interviewing for? Bias based on race is illegal in many countries, including the United States, under laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That’s why no company can ask about your race during the interview.
