Interviewing

What can’t I ask job applicants?

10/22/2008

Q. What questions are off-limits on an employment application or when conducting a job interview? …

Follow promotion rules to stop unexpected suits

10/10/2008

HR can never know for sure exactly what’s going on in other parts of the organization. That means it’s easy to be blindsided by a sudden lawsuit. For example, co-workers sometimes spread unfounded rumors about who is up for promotion and who will be bypassed. Such gossip may give some employees an excuse to find a reason to sue …

Use blind résumé review for bias-free hiring, promotions

10/10/2008

Michigan’s Elliott-Larsen Civil Rights Act makes it unlawful to refuse to hire or recruit someone because of “religion, race, color, national origin, age, sex, height, weight or marital status.” But applicants sometimes provide that information on their résumés. Have someone take those résumés and black out any information that hints at any of those protected categories.

Follow basic rules for job descriptions, interviews to avoid hiring bias

10/01/2008

Want to avoid needless lawsuits from disgruntled applicants? Adopt some basic rules for handling the selection process, and pay special attention to the all-important job description and interview. As the following case shows, employers that follow some simple rules probably won’t lose a hiring discrimination lawsuit …

Is it permissible to ask women about gaps in their employment histories?

09/23/2008

Q. Can we ask female applicants about lengthy gaps in their employment histories? I’m afraid that doing so might make it look as though we are digging into personal or family issues that could lead to a claim of gender bias …

Restaurant makes good after religious discrimination slip-up

09/09/2008

Maryam Abdi, a 16-year-old who was denied a job at an Old Country Buffet restaurant because of her Islamic headscarf, has been hired for the position she sought. Abdi applied for a part-time cashier position at the company’s Fridley restaurant in July. The manager who interviewed her reportedly asked whether she would be willing to remove her headscarf to comply with the restaurant’s uniform policy …

Can an interviewer ask about drug use?

09/05/2008

Q. I recently asked an applicant whether she used illegal drugs. She told me she understood that employers were not allowed to ask such questions. Is this legal? …

EEOC files bias suit on behalf of Sikh worker

09/02/2008

The EEOC recently filed a lawsuit against the Champion National Security Firm in Richardson, alleging the Texas company did not hire a Sikh who refused to shave his beard and remove his turban. The EEOC is seeking punitive damages, back pay and compensation for pain and suffering caused to Sukhdev Singh Brar …

DOJ and EEOC sue El Paso to enforce settlement agreement

09/02/2008

The U.S. Department of Justice and the EEOC have filed a complaint to enforce a mediation settlement agreement the EEOC entered into with the Housing Authority of the city of El Paso …

What managers need to know about the ADA

09/01/2008

When you’re faced with an employee or applicant who may have a physical or mental disability, your legal antenna should go up right away. That’s because the complex Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) gives qualified disabled people special rights in the workplace. Here’s what a manager needs to know about the ADA: Who is protected? […]