Top Ten No Nos you should NOT ask applicants

Finding good employees is always a challenge. Whether you’re a start up or Fortune 500, assessing applicants involves evaluating and subjective impressions. Of course, you want to know as much about an applicant as possible, but there are limits to what you can ask. Here’s a list of the 10 Questions, compiled by Day, Berry & Howard LLP, you should not be asking:

1. How old are you? – Federal and state laws prohibit hiring decisions from being made on the basis of age.

2. Have you ever been arrested? – Arrest records may not be inquired into, convictions can be.

3. Did you enter college or high school? – Questions about a person’s education or experience that tend to elicit an applicant’s age should not be asked.

4. Have you ever filed for workers’ compensation? – Employers cannot ask about an applicant’s history of filing workers’ compensation claims.

5. How many days were you sick last year? – Employers may not make disability related inquiries, or pose any questions likely to elicit information about a disability.

6. What is the origin of you name? – Questions relating to a person’s national origin or ancestry are prohibited.

7. What holidays do you observe? – Employers may not ask any questions relating to an applicant’s religion.

8. Do you intend to have children? – Employers may not ask questions relating to the sex of an applicant or questions stereotypically directed at one sex only.

9. Do you have a significant other? – Employers in Connecticut, for example, may not discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. Therefore, questions, which might elicit such information, are prohibited.

10. That’s a nice ring on your finger; are you married? – Questions relating to a person’s marital status are prohibited.

For more information, contact Kenneth Gage at 203-977-7384 or [email protected]

Compiled by Day, Berry & Howard LLP in Angel Investor News

http://www.angel-investor-news.com/ART_4top10.htm