Hiring discrimination isn’t always obvious. Sometimes, hiring managers may ask you an innocent-sounding question that actually conceals hidden intentions. At Kozloff Stoudt, we’re not just personal injury lawyers in Reading—we’re also here to represent you should you run into hiring discrimination. Some of the most common seemingly innocuous job interview questions include:
- “You must be loving the city! Are you renting an apartment, or did you buy a home?” There is a largely unspoken relationship between certain minority groups and poverty levels. Prioritizing a candidate who owns a home can be a sneaky way of employing racial discrimination. While your employer may ask to know your current address (for tax and payment purposes), he or she may not ask you about your home ownership status.
- “I can tell that you really love kids. Are you planning on starting a family of your own?” Female job seekers have made huge strides in gaining equal rights in the workplace. Unfortunately, many female employees still face workplace discrimination—even as early as the interview stage. Hiring managers may believe that women who are looking to start a family will become pregnant and take maternity leave or will be less committed to their position if they have children. Employers may not ask about your parental status or whether or not you plan on becoming a parent—even if you are obviously pregnant.
- “We’re an American company founded on American values—are you a citizen of the United States?” Your employer has the right to know if you can fill a position while remaining on the right side of the law—questions about whether or not you are legally allowed to work in the United States are found on nearly every job application. However, immigrants and visa holders are valuable members of the economy and hiring managers do not have the right to search for a native-born American to fill their position.
If you believe that you have been the victim of workplace discrimination or you are in need of a team of personal injury attorneys in Reading to determine the next steps in your case, give Kozloff Stoudt a call today at 610-370-6700 to schedule an appointment for a consultation.