9: THE JOB INTERVIEW
ILLEGAL QUESTIONS For the candidate, it’s a good idea to have a plan of action ready if illegal job interview questions are asked. Think through possible illegal questions ahead of time and decide how you will handle them. If you encounter illegal questions, be prepared to respond. You are attempting to determine why the interviewer is asking such a question. If you know the intent of the question, then you can reply with an appropriate answer. For example, if you are asked whether you are a United States citizen (not legal to ask), reply that you are authorized to work in the U.S. FEDERAL LAWS SUCH AS THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT AND THE AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, AS WELL AS STATE LAW, PROHIBIT THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS IN MOST CASES: • Do you prefer to go by Miss, Mrs. or Ms.? • What is your maiden name? • What is your native language and the language you speak at home? • What is your ancestry? • Have you ever been arrested? • What is your religion? • What is your hair/eye color? What is your height/weight?
• Have you ever been hospitalized? • Have you ever been treated by a psychiatrist or psychologist? • Is there any health-related reason you may not be able to perform the job for which you’re applying? • How many days were you absent from work because of illness last year? • Are you taking any prescribed drugs? • Have you ever been treated for drug addiction or alcoholism?
• How many children do you have? • Do you plan to have more children? • How do you plan to care for your children while on the job? • Are you pregnant? • What is or was your spouse’s name or line of work? • Have you ever filed a workers’ compensation claim or been injured on the job? • Do you have any physical impairments that would prevent you from performing the job for which you’re applying?
177 Creative Job Search | CareerForceMN.com/CreativeJobSearch
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