Asked age again during interview!

ThumbTaxed · 01-04-2021 9:48pm

JustAThought wrote: »

I’ve decided that the next company that asks me - or what year I did my leaving cert in another favourite - and didn’t give me the job will be rewarded by me finally complaining and taking a case to the workplace relations commission. They really should be running ads on it now - it happens so often - its totally disheartening - and illegal.

Welcome to litigation Ireland.

Rotting Carrot · 08-04-2021 11:29pm

Strazdas wrote: »

As far as I know, an interviewer is not supposed to ask your age (unless there was some highly specific reason related to the vacancy). If it's the type of job that could be done by a wide spectrum of ages, then that question is bang out of order (no more than he could ask you about your marital status, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity etc).

He said it was because there was a certain vehicle on site that one needs to be over 25 to be able to drive. I didn't really mind that, but the follow up question bothered me.

Other than that though he seemed like an alright guy, and the place seems like an okay place to work.

17-04-2021 12:03pm

Rotting Carrot wrote: »

This has happened before during an interview a while back, in which I declined to answer. I think the result made the interview awkward.

It happened again the other day. I felt comfortable enough with the guy interviewing me and it was quite a bit into the interview. He said it as "Would you mind telling me how old you are?". Because of the way he asked, I decided to answer, and I then joked saying "seeing as you said 'if you don't mind'? He then said he didn't like to offend people, but straight after that he said "married? kids?". With my guard down, I answered. As I do have a thing about this I felt quite bothered by it, as well as the fact that I answered. I made sure this didn't show for the rest of the interview. As it happens the answer probably worked well for me, but that's not the point.

What's the point in this being against the law if they're no way of complaining it. Are the career coaches who say "oh they'll never ask you that because that's illegal" as naive as I think they are? It might sound like I'm complaining about nothing as I've since been offered the position, but when I think back to the moment he said "married? kids?" it makes me feel violated. He didn't even phrase it as a proper sentence. He did not seem like the sort who doesn't know that he's not supposed to be asking these things. I mean, what if it was a woman of child bearing age being asked that question.

Funily enough I think I'm about to be offered an almost identical position elsewhere, and right now it feels like this will be a factor in my decision between the two.

If you don't mind me asking - how old are you? Are you married? Do you have kids?

I am me123 · 26-08-2023 4:50pm

Came across this thread.

I was literally just asked my age at a job interview. Unprofessional much!

Strazdas · 26-08-2023 5:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030288#Comment_121030288

You'd be perfectly entitled to ask in return "Is that relevant to the job role?". Clearly, they have a specific reason for asking (which they are not supposed to have).

Atlantic Dawn · 26-08-2023 5:27pm

If the job involves driving company vehicles it's possible the group insurance policy only covers drivers 25 and over, otherwise can't see any valid need to ask someone's age.

amacca · 26-08-2023 5:33pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/116724901#Comment_116724901

That's the thing imo....why bother asking when you can probably work it out +or- 3yrs from education history on CV or application form in most cases....its pretty much unenforceable imo....

amacca · 26-08-2023 5:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/116725935#Comment_116725935

I have never applied for a job that didn't require your education history ..and what's the point of lying when they can just ask for certified copies (which will just have the details on them anyway) or contact the colleges directly (which they do from time to time)....unless you like forging stuff and are good at it?

DownByTheGarden · 26-08-2023 5:48pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030438#Comment_121030438

Way to get the job though :)

DownByTheGarden · 26-08-2023 5:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030493#Comment_121030493

At my last company between interview one and interview two you would have to give a copy of your degree among other things and if you were missing anything by the time interview two came about you wouldnt be passing that interview. They also used to have a professional outfit get everything available about you on the internet. Linked is is a total gateway to finding out everything there is to know about someone, it just leads to opening up all other details on the web about someone.

And 95% of the time people can tell roughly within 5 years or so what age you are. If someone ever got your age wrong by more than that they were just flattering you. Easier to know 5 or 10 years off when someone says to you "guess my age, i wont be offended." Of course you will be and the person asking knows this. So dont ever think someone actually thought you were much younger than you really are.

I am me123 · 27-08-2023 8:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030438#Comment_121030438

Thank you. As well as that I was asked my marital status, and whether or not I had kids!

Bobeagleburger · 27-08-2023 8:35pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121035489#Comment_121035489

I didnt think that was allowed..

Jim2007 · 28-08-2023 9:34am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121030288#Comment_121030288

It entirely depends on what context the question came up and the follow up questions. If you were in an interview with me, back in the day (now retired) and you asked about benefits, then age, marital status and if you have children would come up as we paid very significant benefits in such cases - 2.5k child allowance per child p.a., additional holiday entitlements and about 20k per child pa until the completes education should you be incapacitated or die in service, additional holidays entitlements, pension and incapacity pension are all based on age.

I'm very doubtful about the perceived value of these anti discrimination laws versus it's practical usefulness. Over a 40 year period I expect I was involved in recruiting around 150 people, often as a head hunter or external consultant and I can't every remember any decision maker taking on someone they did not want to employ. And as a job seeker, it takes a couple of hours effort to submit a good application, plus say attendance at at least one interview before the employer filters you out because they don't like you face. If you do that a couple of times a week that is lot your time wasted on applying for jobs you'll never get.

I am me123 · 28-08-2023 3:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121035661#Comment_121035661

Me neither! I was most surprised to be asked such personal questions.

28-08-2023 4:37pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121035661#Comment_121035661

It's certainly allowed, it's just really stupid unless the interviewer can 100% explain a legitimate reason for asking. An example legitimate scenario might be where a company wants to capture statistics on interviews in order to ensure that they're not discriminating. This can be the case in some large corporate multinationals, where the company may want to protect itself from either spurious claims, or the possibility that a hiring manager actually is discriminating and they can identify it early.

However, in that case, the interview procedure will be written down, cleared at all levels, and created in consultation with the legal department. The interviewer will be able to stand up in court and produce the documentation that says they're supposed to ask this question, and the company will be able to say "we ask it for this specific X reason, and we ask it equally of every applicant, and we store it here using this data protection policy, and only this Y group of people are allowed access to it".

Another example of a legitimate reason might be that you can be required to by law. I imagine a lot of people in Ireland might be surprised to be asked in an interview what religion their background is. In Northern Ireland, employers are legally required to capture that information

If the interviewer is asked in court why they asked a question like that, and their response is anything like "just asking" or "no reason", they're about to get their ass handed to them

Asked age again during interview!

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