Inappropriate application questions from a multinational company

Pictures Of Lilly

I was just applying for a job with Almac group, who have a location in Belfast. I noticed that it forces you to answer to following question:

Please indicate the community to which you belong or are perceived to belong: Roman Catholic, Protestant.

I'm after putting in a lot of work into this application and I thought I was quite suited to the job. And now I've to realise that this is the final question I didn't seem to see before now. Answering such a question would really make you feel like you're their b1tch! Underneath this question, there was a note, which read:

When you answer the above question in relation to your community background you must do so truthfully as it is a criminal offence under the Fair Employment (Monitoring) Regulations (NI) 1999 to knowingly give a false answer to this question.

It also forced me to answer my date of birth, as well as ethnic background, and PPS number. It asked for my sexual orientation, though it didn't force me to answer that one. I reluctantly answered the others, but when it came to the community background question, I had to draw the line. This obviously doesn't have anything to do with the company, but more so the location that the company is within. You'd think a multi-national company would be able to keep itself out of the religious tensions within the North.

I've seen a few questions like this before on applications, but never this extreme! I don't know if they'll lose other candidates due to this, but to think that they want all this information about you at the application stage!? God, I'm glad I don't live in Northern Ireland when I see things like this!

Thanks

Blacktie.

I've heard this is all fairly standard for jobs in the UK to ensure companies are being non discriminatory which is laughable really cause this just seems to be doing the opposite.

judeboy101

No option for pastafarian?

Oink

We live in a democracy. Pressuring someone to disclose their actual religion is despicable and in my eyes discriminatory, and therefore illegal (in my opinion)

Asking you the religious group you are "perceived" to belong to? That makes me want to punch someone.

I would get up and leave and ask them to please never contact me again.

EDIT: "perceived"???! WHAT THE ACTUAL FAAAACK DOES THAT EVEN MEAN!??

" Would you say you like more like a Fenian b@stard, or a Loyalist scumbag?"

As your post noted it is Northern Irish specific law to show that they aren't discriminating.

Multinationals are a susceptible to it as anyone, my old employer's nothern factory was based in loyalist central and by default recruited from the neighbourhood.

Oink

[Deleted User] wrote: »

As your post noted it is Northern Irish specific law to show that they aren't discriminating.

They should do that the same way other places do not discriminate against gay applicants (for example): By staying out of their private life.

My colleagues may be Protestant, Catholic, gay, straight, and my job includes minding my own business.

Pictures Of Lilly

Blacktie. wrote: »

I've heard this is all fairly standard for jobs in the UK to ensure companies are being non discriminatory which is laughable really cause this just seems to be doing the opposite.

I thought some of it might have been to do with the fact that the catholics get ahead in life better than the protestants in the North, and therefore the religious quotas would give the loyalists a bit of a chance. But you'd expect that in the public sector, not the private sector!

I don't think it's the case in the UK in general, just the North. The North doesn't abide by the same rules as the rest of the UK, just in the same way they don't have gay marriage up there. It's all about appeasement from the main land.

Stheno

After the good Friday deal it is a requirement that all employers in ni report to the government on the breakdown of their staff in regards to religion and background.

Nothing abnormal about it op

Pictures Of Lilly

Stheno wrote: »

After the good Friday deal it is a requirement that all employers in ni report to the government on the breakdown of their staff in regards to religion and background.

Nothing abnormal about it op

But it just shows how messed up and backward the North is though. The amount of judgement people must face up there. No wonder it's so poor. Answering that question would probably result in creepy dream.

I'd have expected it in the public sector, but not for a job like the one I'm applying for. Why do they need to know?... so they can exclude me from the william of orange march they have in the canteen!

I'm sure it's all to do with the protestant DUP they've up there. No, I ain't gonna be their b*tch.

riffmongous

Pictures Of Lilly wrote: »

I thought some of it might have been to do with the fact that the catholics get ahead in life better than the protestants in the North, and therefore the religious quotas would give the loyalists a bit of a chance. But you'd expect that in the public sector, not the private sector!

I don't think it's the case in the UK in general, just the North. The North doesn't abide by the same rules as the rest of the UK, just in the same way they don't have gay marriage up there. It's all about appeasement from the main land.

Give loyalists more of a chance? You might need to read up a bit on NI http://cain.ulst.ac.uk/issues/employ/gibson2.htm

Pictures Of Lilly

riffmongous wrote: »

Give loyalists more of a chance? You might need to read up a bit on NI

Isn't that what the quotas are for? It's only fair to give them a chance I suppose, if it means you'd gets them away from burning rubber tire bonfires the size of mountains!

I'll go with my instinct on this one!

Nody

Mod:
As the reason of the question has now been answered and as we (as always) take the turn into politics we'll close the thread here before we need to start handing out cards; for further discussion please take it to politics over the hows and whys and why nots.