Not allowed to apply for a job

gborbust

My huband was made redundant two weeks ago, so is job hunting. Yesterday he called some jobs that were advertised at the job centre only to be told that "this job was only for local people" and then they hung up on him. He said they were rather angry he rang.

My question is...are employers allowed to prevent you from applying for a job based on what their idea of local is - in other words are they allowed to restrict the applicant pool in such a way?

His field has dried up where we are, so he is having to consider re-locating for work. Thanks.

gborbust

Well that settles that then. Ta.

GSXRCarlos

Mysolicitorisbetter wrote: »

Yes they can

even if you're willing to relocate?

hellokitty08

Having worked in recruitment I was told no, you couldnt do this because of equal opporunites. (e.g your local area was affluent and prodieminetly white middle class)

Not much chance of that happening near a job centre, i suspect, however I would have thought that was a bit off for the job centre to say that.

Have you tried applying online through the job centre website or does it say on there to phone?

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

hellokitty08 wrote: »

Having worked in recruitment I was told no, you couldnt do this because of equal opporunites. (e.g your local area was affluent and prodieminetly white middle class)

Not much chance of that happening near a job centre, i suspect, however I would have thought that was a bit off for the job centre to say that.

Have you tried applying online through the job centre website or does it say on there to phone?

Hi this is not strictly true - I work in recruitment now and they can request that applicants are to live within XX distance of the role depending upon what it is. I previously worked at East Midlands Airport - You had to live within half an hours drive of the airport in case they needed you to get in quickly. Equal opportunites doesnt come into it. They can get round it by interviewing candidates from all over but then rejecting people living XX miles out

hellokitty08

Yerh I get what you mean for that, same with retained fire fighters!

Mimi_Arc_en_ciel

its cr** but they can get round it and will do. sorry i wasnt more helpful! good luck with job hunting!

If its any consolation - he could try recruitment agencys, we're turning away work @ our place! not enough temps / workers!

gborbust

Thanks everyone. A while back I was told that equal opportunities meant you couldn't limit the applicant pool geographically(with some exceptions noted above for emergency needs).

It was just that they responded so angrilly when my husband rang up about the job! Not to mention that the advert (from the job centre) said nothing about local applicants anyway. So, how was he to know?

But as you have said, they'll find a way around if they don't want you.

fengirl_2

An employer is not allowed to discrimnate in recruitment due to age, sex, sexual orientation, disability, race or religion. There is no law against 'discrimination' on the grounds of location.

gborbust

This is strictly correct.

However, cases have been made -and won-that setting geographical limitations can in fact be discriminating by age, race or religion for instance. If a certain area is populated only by a certain demographic, an you limit the application pool by said demographic, you are in fact disciminating.

Discrimination is not always overt, but it is still discrimination.

Thanks again everyone.

vaporate

If thats how they treated you, dont work at such a !!!! hole.