8/17/2019 What Interviewers Can't Ask You

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What Interviewers Can't Ask You

June 14, 2012

Career Expert Blogs from CareerCast.com

Fortunately, most businesses recognize te !alue of iring a "i!erse #or$force, an" tey ma$e

sure inter!ie#ers un"erstan" an" respect tat goal. For tose companies, e%ual employment

opportunities are te norm. &o#e!er, "iscrimination still occurs "uring 'ob inter!ie#s e!ery "ay,#ic can pre!ent %ualifie" can"i"ates from being ire" an" sub!ert te benefits tat a "i!erse

#or$force creates.

(o be sure, one of te most insi"ious settings #ere your rigts can be !iolate" is te 'obinter!ie#. (e %uestioner may be pre'u"ice" or ignorant) #ate!er te reason, you are as$e"

%uestions tat employers are not permitte" to as$ 'ob applicants. &ere*s an o!er!ie# of

inappropriate %uestions to be rea"y for.

1: Questions about your race and nationality 

+n employer cannot as$ #at race you are, or #eter you are biracial or multiracial. +s$ing

#at country you or your parents an" gran"parents came from is also proibite". nstea", all of

te inter!ie# %uestions soul" focus on te 'ob an" your suitability for te 'ob.

Examples of %uestions tat cross te line inclu"e -(ats an unusual name) is it Frenc/- or, -s

tat a Frenc accent/ s Frenc your nati!e language/- imilarly, inter!ie#ers soul" not as$

you #eter you are a .. citizen or o# long you a!e li!e" in te nite" tates.

(e inter!ie#er can legally as$ you %uestions about #eter you are autorize" to #or$ in te

nite" tates. (e inter!ie#er can also as$ #at languages you spea$ fluently an" #at yourcurrent a""ress an" telepone number is. Beyon" tese basic %uestions tat are "esigne" to

measure your suitability for te 'ob, you soul" not be as$e" about your race, nationality, or

nati!e language.

2: Questions about your health and age 

our 'ob inter!ie# soul" not inclu"e %uestions about your ealt or your age. +s$ing -&o# areyou/- is permitte"33an" your ans#er soul" al#ays be, -m #ell. +n" o# are you/- Beyon"

tis con!ersational ritual, an inter!ie#er cannot as$ you %uestions tat are li$ely to re!eal tat

you a!e a "isability. (e inter!ie# soul" not inclu"e any %uestions about illnesses or ealtcon"itions you a!e. ou soul" not be as$e" about o# many "ays of #or$ you a!e misse" in

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8/17/2019 What Interviewers Can't Ask You

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te past because of illness.

uestions about #eter you are currently ta$ing me"ication or #eter you!e e!er file" a#or$ers compensation claim are also off limits, because your ans#ers to tose %uestions coul"

re!eal an illness or an in'ury. E!en if you a!e !oluntarily "isclose" a i""en "isability or illness,

or if your "isability or illness is !isible, te inter!ie#er cannot %uestion you about your ealt.

+ge is also a protecte" class if youre o!er 40 years ol", so %uestions about age are also off3

limits. (e inter!ie#er cannot as$ you o# ol" you are or o# muc longer you plan to #or$ before you retire.

+n inter!ie#er can, o#e!er, as$ %uestions about #eter you can perform te pysical

re%uirements of te 'ob) for example, #eter you can lift boxes of a certain #eigt or can stan"on your feet for long perio"s, if tose are re%uirements of te 'ob. +n inter!ie#er can also as$

o# many "ays of #or$ you misse" in a gi!en year for any reason, not 'ust because you #ere

sic$. +n inter!ie#er can as$ if you use illegal "rugs, but cannot as$ about prescription "rugs.

imilarly, te inter!ie#er can as$ if you are o!er te age of 15, an" e or se can as$ you aboutyour long3term career goals.

3: Questions about your gender and a!ily status 

nless your name is -6at- or -Cris- an" youre inter!ie#ing by e3mail or o!er te pone, yourgen"er #ill probably be ob!ious to te inter!ie#er. 7e!erteless, te inter!ie#er cant as$ if

youre male or female, an" te inter!ie#er certainly cant as$ if you!e al#ays been male or

female. f you are un"ergoing a transgen"er proce"ure, te inter!ie#er cannot as$ you #ic sex

you #ere at birt, #ic sex you are transitioning to, or any oter %uestions about yourtransition.

 7or soul" te inter!ie#er as$ if you are marrie", if you a!e cil"ren, or if you plan to start afamily. t is illegal for an employer to ma$e a iring "ecision base" on your family status, so

tere is no reason for tese %uestions to come up "uring a 'ob inter!ie#.

+n inter!ie#er may incorrectly ma$e assumptions tat parents are not as a!ailable for #or$ as

non3parents. (e inter!ie#er can as$ if you are a!ailable for #or$ on certain "ays of te #ee$ or

"uring a certain sift, but e or se cannot as$ if you a!e a spouse or cil"ren or if you a!e

family commitments tat affect your #or$ ours.

8no# your rigts before te 'ob inter!ie#. f a prospecti!e employer as$s illegal %uestions

"uring a 'ob inter!ie# an" you "ont get ire", contact a representati!e from your local E%ualEmployment 9pportunity Commission office to fin" out #at you can "o to enforce your rigts.

"his article is re#rinted by #er!ission ro! www$CareerCast$co!% & Adicio Inc$ All rights

reserved$

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