MrsDagboy

Billy are you just saying that so you & Ceri can bitch at each other some more?

melaniee

I think it is disguisting and should not be allowed to be asked. Mind you, in the UK I have been asked if I am married and have children and what school did I go to??????????????

walaj

I have a book 'great answers to tough interview questions' Ok it is aimed at the british market, but it does deal with illegal questions.

The interviewer can get answers without being blatant - eg "the job requires you to work Saturdays. Is that a problem?"

It says you can respond in an angry manner, quote the law, but you won't get the job. An answer with a positive spin emphasising your skills and abilities not your status, is going to at least give you a chance of being offered the job, which can then be turned down.

eg are you married? "yes. Of course, I make a seperation between my work life and my family life that allows me to give my all to a job..."

Its not right that those questions should be asked, but they are, just like that 30yrs on from the sex discrimination act women usually get paid less then their male counterparts. Who said life was fair?

Vegemite Kids

I've never been asked either question, but I've always thought that if I was it would be great fun to burst into tears and then through heaving sobs stutter " I j-j-j-j-j-just found out this m-m-m-m-m-m-m-m-morning that I'm in-in-in-in-infertile". Can you imagine the look on the interviewer's face ?
Of course I would never do it, (cant fake the sobbing well enough), but I bet if I did I would get the job straight away !

WBB

i shoot straight mrs D you should know that by now, if i got something to say to ceri i say it to her and not sideways remarks in another thread.

janeyray

Well seems some of you think it's ok to be asked this question and some of you think it's wrong. It's a tough one I do agree.

I just felt had it been further into the interview it wouldn't have struck me as an odd thing to ask, but because it was the first thing he said I think he was discriminating. I answered his question about child care by telling him that I had a place at our local child care centre.

Further into the interview he asked if I thought Ellenbrook was a long way to travel everyday to work (!!??) The journey to the shop would take me 25 minutes which I thought was an average travelling time nowdays to get to work.!!??

What I wanted to scream at him was:... "LET ME HAVE THE BLOODY JOB!! I'AM GOOD, I HAVE A CHILD BUT SO WHAT!! I AM PREPARED TO PAY FOR THE CHILDCARE OUT OF MY WAGES JUST TO HAVE A JOB, LOOK I'AM SO BORED I'LL WORK FOR NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! but alas I did not.

Maybe he was just a 'bit old fashioned' in his views on working women and expected me to be a young lesbian who didn't want kids and who lived next door to the shop?!! lol

sj oldfield

I`m with you on this one.

I have been both an employer and an employee and yes , at the time I had 2 young children (still have them but no longer need child care, havent killed them if anyone is getting worried though often tempted)

Ruthyman

Ive always had to fill out the dependants question on any job application I have had both Oz and UK and because of that I would call it unnecessary to ask the same question at interview stage. It would seem that someone was making a point of it. I mean you normally get asked your age and maritial status on the application but it would be weird if they mentioned it again at the interveiw. If it were a man I think he had ulterior motives!!!!

krissy

This is a thorny issue.
No they wouldn't ask a man (don't see why though, it's their child too??!!) the same question and to be perfectly honest it's a question i have been asked. When i was single they actually asked me if i was planning kids as i was due to be getting married. Sorry chaps but it was a bloke conducting the interview. I told him that legally he wasn't allowed to ask me that and my husband would be the first person to know if i wanted kids not my employer. I got the job though, he was a complete t**t to work for and so I left. Should have known really!
If a couple have kids then it is both the parents responsibilty to ensure adequate childcare whilst they work. Why should it be....'oh you're a mum and you want to work, therefore it's your problem to sort the kids'.
I generally tell prospective employers that my children are in childcare, but both my husband and myself take joint responsibilty of them if they are ill or need to be off.
Any employer worth their salt will be OK with this.
It a toughie that's for sure.
Kris

MeganEkno

Absolutely not relevant. I would be livid if I got asked this question and I don't have children. They should be trying to ascertain whether you are the best person for the job. If they give you the job and then your child minding arrangements get in the way of you doing it properly, they can discuss the problem at hand. Ahhh, made me mad just reading about it!!!!!!!!!

sjn2003

So you should ask them if they ask all young, single applicants whether they are going to go out on the lash on a work night and turn up for work hungover, or even worse throw a sickie !!!

It seems Aussie employers only look at the negative points of employing parents with young children, not the positive that we are less likely to turn up unfit to work.

I am also involved with recruitment of staff in the UK and it is unlawful to discriminate on age,sex,disability,gender or gender reassignment.

As far as I am aware you are allowed to ask the question to the extent that you can justify (if needed) how it is relevant to the job offer ie. may be shift work, involves lots of travelling. You are only discriminating if you use the information to discriminate against an applicant.

anya4oz

As a matter of interest, do Oz employers tend to ask for Date of Birth? This practice has been illegal for years in the US, and is dying out fast here in the UK. Did I read somewhere that the Oz parliament is to pass laws against age discrimmination in employment (tho one wonders how effective it will be)?

The problem is that if you're a woman, if you're of breeding age, you're likely to have kids & take loads of time off, and if you're past breeding age, you're too old and thus slow/dim witted and just plain unsightly to have about the place

Meanwhile, ugly women are poor status symbols for male bosses, whilst pretty women (esp those with sizable norks) are likely to be disruptive.

And clever women are just plain disastrous, in every shape/form!

We just can't win! So the best bet for women @ work is just to take it on the chin, use our inbuilt powers of intelligence, humor, charm & diplomacy to the full - & be the first at the bar to buy the beers! It works......

Anya.

MeganEkno

[QUOTE]Originally posted by sjn2003 It seems Aussie employers only look at the negative points of employing parents with young children, not the positive that we are less likely to turn up unfit to work.



Please let's not turn this into an Aussie/English debate about the merits and practices of each country. In my years in Oz, I never experienced this in any of my interviews. I am sure it happens in both countries, it is a terrible practice.

ABCDiamond

This thread is hinging on "sex discrimination"

What if ALL applicants are women ? and the question still gets asked ?

So, another of my hypotheticals:

3 Women apply;

1 is 19 single

1 is 29 married with kids and fully organised with childcare

1 is 29 married with kids but uncertain about child care

Is it still sex discrimination to ask ? or is it just the employer trying to work out which one would be best to employ ?

PS: I would employ: (married with kids and fully organised with childcare) Because I think that one would be the most reliable and organised person for a job.

Why wouldnt I want to employ the 19 year old ? Because I have done in the past . I know they are not all the same, but when wages are so similar for someone with or without experience, then its logical to go for the one with more experience aswell.

Ceri

in answer to that yes it's discrimination;



You can not just ask a woman (or a man) in an interview "do you have children" it is discrimination.
.................................................. ........................

ok - this article in the below link is written in simple terms , it may make it a bit clearer.
http://www.seek.com.au/editorial/0-8-2_cant_ask.htm



"It is unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their status as a parent or carer;"

"
"Only ask questions that are relevant to the skills, abilities, experience and knowledge required for the position."


You will notice one of their examples (below) of inappropriate questions in the above link.
"Do you have any children?
How many children do you have?"

REPLACE WITH
"This job requires interstate travel. Are you able to perform overtime and are you able to spend time away from home?"
.................................................. .................................................. ...

You cannot ask a person (in this case, and in most cases it's only women who get asked these sexist, irrelevant questions, just because she is a woman - this is again discrimination)

Whatever your personal views on the subject are, you personally may THINK it’s right to ask "do you have children" - but it is discrimination to ask such a question, you are discriminating – one, she's a woman, you would not ask a man that, and two, it’s discrimination against parents
. Being a parent has nothing to do with your capabilities in the work force. Men do not get asked that question -so that in it self is discrimination, as the interviewer is already making discrimination between the sexes. What makes people think men don't down tools to look after a sick child??
Why doesn’t the interviewer ask if you’re looking after an elderly relative while they are at it too, they are as dependent as any child.

These are why there are laws in place, to protect people, whether it is a woman, man, or a parent/carer, or of race, religion.

The fact of the matter - NO the interviewer should have not asked that question. If Janeyray could actually prove that it happened, she could take the matter further with the anti – discrimination tribunal of her state (personally if it were me, I wouldn't waste my time on these employers.. I'd just thank my lucky stars I wouldn't be working for that person with that kind of attitude).

It sounded from Janeyray’s post that it was inappropriate – ie she was asked that question at the beginning of the interview, and she herself must have thought it was not appropriate, or felt it was wrong, or she wouldn’t have asked the question on this forum

whether it is all men, or all women - you can't discriminate on parental status, or marriage status - it is an inappropate question to ask. The law protects parents (man or woman) , people (single or married, de-facto or gay) - your status has nothing to do with your capabilities , and according to anti-discrimination laws - the question(s) should not be asked.


cheers

Ps you can download the acts from the Anti-discrimination Tribunal web sites

PPS "I answered his question about child care by telling him that I had a place at our local child care centre." Janeyrays quote.
lol - another illegal question. This person who interviewed Janeyray has broken every rule in the book. He is not allowed to ask those questions. It's pity employers don't read through the anti- discrimination laws, and it's a pity more employees don't know their rights.

I haven't an answer for if and when this happens again in an interview, what should I say? You could tell them that it is an inappropriate question under the anti- discrimination acts , but I doubt if you'd get the job by saying that.. you'll scare them. They'll think "oh my gawd we've a right little trouble maker here"

damned if you do damned if you don't.