Have you ever had a job interview where you wondered why in the world the prospective employer was asking certain questions that you thought were strange? If you thought they were strange, then you were probably right. There are certain questions that shouldn't be asked during a job interview. As a matter of fact, federal law prohibits an employer from asking questions that are not relevant to the job. All questions should be related to the job and not used to gather personal information.



Here are some of the questions that you should not be asked during an interview, but employers tend to do it anyway:

• What is your ethnicity?

• What is your sexual orientation?

• What is your religion?

• Do you attend church services regularly?

• Where were you born?

• How old are you?

• Do you have any disabilities?

• Are you married?

• Do you have children?

All of these questions have nothing to do with the job. The employer may ask if you have adequate transportation to get back and forth to work, but that is relevant to the job. It is relevant because your job depends on you being able to be there. The employer wants to make sure you can fulfill your obligation each day.

As for whether or not you have children or you are married, those questions are not relevant to the job. Most adults do have children and most adults do have a significant other. There are also many adults who don't have these things. Employers are not allowed to discriminate against you because you do have children.

Actually, an employer is not allowed to discriminate against you for anything at all. Many good candidates could be passed up due to discrimination. Everyone is to have an equal chance at getting the job regardless of their personal circumstances.

Unfortunately, there are still employers asking these questions and they are getting by with it. They have been known to ask questions such as, “Will your children get in the way of your job responsibilities?” They may even ask, “Do you have adequate childcare so that you can carry out your job duties?” These questions are not needed. Now, an employer may ask a question, such as “Are you physically capable to carry out the job duties?” This is a viable question for the fact that some jobs require heavy lifting or have other physical demands. If a person is not able to carry out those physical demands, then they may find that performing their job is very difficult. If someone says they are able to fulfill the physical demands, but they don't, then they could lose their job. This question cannot be considered a “disability” question.

If you find that you are being asked illegal questions in a job interview, it may be in your best interest to turn down a job offer. If they want to know why, there is nothing wrong with telling them that their questions were too personal. If they are going to ask you such questions during a job interview, then it is hard to tell how personal things would get when actually doing the job. You could be treading on shallow water and find yourself in a job that you would not like.

When you call an employer out on their illegal questions, you may be opening their eyes to what it is they are doing. Then again, you may not be. Just know that an employer that asks illegal questions is not exactly the type of employer you want to dedicate your time to.