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Yes, he did also ask when I graduated college. All I said was the 90's. This is a franchised office of a large national company. I really can't say too much as it will give away exactly who they are. The person who interviewed me was the franchise owner and the office manager.
Make a compliant with the parent company. I'm sure they would be interested in a franchisee asking questions like this.
I honestly think you should be happy you learned all of this weird stuff.....so you can decline the job and find a better fit elsewhere.
Absolutely, that interviewer gave you a gift and a glimpse into what working there would be like. Walk away, never look back, and thank God you found this out beforehand .
I’ve never had a question on my religious beliefs or devotion, however, I’m in my early mid-forties and I don’t look my age. Late 20’s, very early 30’s at the oldest. I’m inevitably asked in one form or another questions concerning children, reasons for being unavailable for travel, or “anything preventing me from being available for ....” Almost every interview. I try hard not to twist my mouth upon hearing the question.
When you hear odd questions or anything that raises red flags to you, be thankful. You do not want to walk into a Jim Jones cult situation. You have to very wary of small, mid-size private businesses. They tout the “we are a family” mantra, but you have to remember that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own issues. Plenty of families with dysfunction, odd quirks, and unreasonable expectations. Antics that wouldn’t fly for long in many corporate organizations.
I’m not sure I’d report to EEOC/Dept of Labor in this case, but I would definitely write up a review on sites like Glassdoor and inform the corporate franchise company. And I’d be thankful that I avoided walking into an uncomfortable environment.
It’s not illegal to ask the question. Only illegal to discriminate based on the answers to those questions.
The hard part is proving that. Filing complaints on the Glassdoor or EEOC starts the documentation to prove discrimination on religious grounds. It might help the next person in line; it would be hard to say if it would help the OP.
Of course it is always possible that the home office, of any large chain, might have totally different ideas on what questions are acceptable - so it might not hurt to ask (especially if the OP does not get hired).
I’ve never had a question on my religious beliefs or devotion, however, I’m in my early mid-forties and I don’t look my age. Late 20’s, very early 30’s at the oldest. I’m inevitably asked in one form or another questions concerning children, reasons for being unavailable for travel, or “anything preventing me from being available for ....†Almost every interview. I try hard not to twist my mouth upon hearing the question.
When you hear odd questions or anything that raises red flags to you, be thankful. You do not want to walk into a Jim Jones cult situation. You have to very wary of small, mid-size private businesses. They tout the “we are a family†mantra, but you have to remember that doesn’t mean they don’t have their own issues. Plenty of families with dysfunction, odd quirks, and unreasonable expectations. Antics that wouldn’t fly for long in many corporate organizations.
I’m not sure I’d report to EEOC/Dept of Labor in this case, but I would definitely write up a review on sites like Glassdoor and inform the corporate franchise company. And I’d be thankful that I avoided walking into an uncomfortable environment.
Funny thing is, I’m looking for a new job partly because the job I have now is a small family owned business. I’m the only one that’s NOT family! All are really nice, but there’s definitely favoritism as I do more work then any of them and when I recently asked for a raise I was basically laughed at. I guess I’ll keep looking!
Years ago I had an interviewer fishing for information by asking wildly inappropriate questions, including whether or not I was married - and then asked how much my husband made! I automatically answered the first question about whether or not I was married - shouldn't have, and had that ever popped up in subsequent interviews I would immediately have told the interviewer it was none of his business - but thereafter refused to answer a single one of his prying questions. I just out and out told him it was none of his business.
Husband's salary - none of your business.
Whether I had or planned to have children - none of your business.
Husband's profession (obviously still trying to get a guess at his salary) - none of your business.
Then I told him all these questions were highly inappropriate and asked him if HR knew what kind of questions he was asking me, and informed him they probably would as soon as I contacted EEOC and the labor bureau (which I did). I then stood up and told him I wasn't even faintly interested in working for him and walked out.
I was a software engineer, and even though it was still the 80s (and women were routinely sexually harassed and discriminated against in ways that horrify people today) I DID NOT have to put up with that crap. I hate to hear that this sort of thing is still happening.
I guarantee you if I was still on the job market I would IMMEDIATELY have noticed a cross on the wall, and the very first question about religion would have had me on my feet and headed for the door. Anybody who brings their religion into the workplace is most definitely someone I'm not going to bother with.
Well you cant do anything until they don't hire you, and since they arent going to hire you it will be pretty hard to prove damages and pretty hard to prove discrimination. I'm not terribly knowledgeable on the elements of claim for religious discrimination, but I suspect that not hiring you because you aren'treligious enough is not grounds for a claim. I think probably not. Generally, I believe, you must be discriminated against for your actual religion. You apparently didn't even tell him your religion.
But it sounds like you dodged a bullet. Would you really want to work there? I'd report them to EEOC and keep looking
Second the motion, second all this. Sounds like the owner is a bit of a head case with poor boundaries and poor judgement.
Watch your newspaper or TV news for when he get sued, because he will.
Years ago I had an interviewer fishing for information by asking wildly inappropriate questions, including whether or not I was married - and then asked how much my husband made! I automatically answered the first question about whether or not I was married - shouldn't have, and had that ever popped up in subsequent interviews I would immediately have told the interviewer it was none of his business - but thereafter refused to answer a single one of his prying questions. I just out and out told him it was none of his business.
Husband's salary - none of your business.
Whether I had or planned to have children - none of your business.
Husband's profession (obviously still trying to get a guess at his salary) - none of your business.
Then I told him all these questions were highly inappropriate and asked him if HR knew what kind of questions he was asking me, and informed him they probably would as soon as I contacted EEOC and the labor bureau (which I did). I then stood up and told him I wasn't even faintly interested in working for him and walked out.
I was a software engineer, and even though it was still the 80s (and women were routinely sexually harassed and discriminated against in ways that horrify people today) I DID NOT have to put up with that crap. I hate to hear that this sort of thing is still happening.
I guarantee you if I was still on the job market I would IMMEDIATELY have noticed a cross on the wall, and the very first question about religion would have had me on my feet and headed for the door. Anybody who brings their religion into the workplace is most definitely someone I'm not going to bother with.
I agree with other posters. You dodged a bullet.
Are you married? Well, yes and no. I keep a harem. Would you like to see some pitchers?
Husband's profession? Hit man for mob, military sniper, bar bouncer, street fighter, kung fu master, alcoholic bar brawler...
Never was asked that question. What does your religion have to do with performing the duties the job entails?
That's stupid.
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case with poor boundaries and poor judgement.
Anybody who brings their religion into the workplace is most definitely someone I'm not going to bother with.
