Asked in interview about plans for a baby etc

pimento

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

So what are you going to do about childcare arrangements?

Perhaps her husband is going to stay at home and look after them like mine does.

Uncertain

Reggie_Rebel wrote: »

So what are you going to do about childcare arrangements?

This is absolutely none of the firm's business!

Apart from the very limited legal rights to short periods of unpaid time off for family emergencies (which could just as easily be an elderly dependent relative) it is up to the OP to make herself available to honour her contract.

Whether she uses a full time nanny, grandparents, boarding schools or a childminding service is up to her.

I hope she takes this firm to the cleaners. By the sound of it she has the resources to do so and this may benefit somebody less able in the future.

sagalout1954

Perhaps the interviewer/company have experience of mothers who are constantly absent because of the lack of appropriate childcare arrangements (particularly when a child is ill). A colleague was recently off for a few days with the flu, came in for a couple of days then went off again because her childminder had the flu - no-one to childmind!

On the flip side of all the 'fairness to parents rights/laws', it can get awfully tiresome having to cover the workload of parents suddenly absent 'only' through childcare difficulties (or child illness) - even when it's unpaid, those of us who take up the slack don't get the money instead.

It was definitely WRONG to be asked these questions, and no doubt OP can take this further, particularly if she doesn't get the job and has some of these inappropriate questions in writing, BUT, a small'ish company who perhaps doesn't have the workforce size to 'carry' anyone does rather have my sympathy.

dehydrato

Thanks everyone for taking the time to comment. I appreciate it.
I was interviewed by more than one person and each interviewer asked me what I percieve to be inappropriate questions such as -
Who lives with me at home?
How long have I lived here? (I have an accent)
Do I know the area well?
Where does my husband work?
What does he do there?
How long has he been there?
Does he have set leave periods he has to take?
Do I plan having any more children?
What nursery does my child go to?
How often?
Will they extend the hours available to my child?
If the nursery was closed where would my child go if I was at work?

One of the interviewers husbands works at the same place as my husband and told me at great length how her husband is more senior than mine!

I do feel that in no way was I asked about my capabilities or skills I could bring, the emphasis was on my home life.

I am not going gungho into a witch hunt against them, I want to think about it. However, they are a very wealthy family owned company, around 40 employees in a luxury market. I do not foresee any issue in a case closing them down. The majority of staff are women and most are slightly older than say childbearing age but have worked there 5 years or more. I do think that they should be aware of what is acceptable to ask and I am sure I am not the first person they have asked these questions to, for this job alone they interviewed 10 people.

Also, my motivation for applying for the job is not the point, I applied because I liked the job, had researched the company and thought I would enjoy working there and perhaps in the future, progress into a more senior role.

Anyway, I will look through all the links and decide what to do later - for now- enjoy New Years Eve everyone.

Googlewhacker

Uncertain wrote: »

This is absolutely none of the firm's business!

Apart from the very limited legal rights to short periods of unpaid time off for family emergencies (which could just as easily be an elderly dependent relative) it is up to the OP to make herself available to honour her contract.

Whether she uses a full time nanny, grandparents, boarding schools or a childminding service is up to her.

I hope she takes this firm to the cleaners. By the sound of it she has the resources to do so and this may benefit somebody less able in the future.

Why take them to the cleaners if information would help them?

Litigation society at its best.....

Besides at best it is more likely to be a few thousend.

PasturesNew

Blobby8 wrote: »

Fact is if its a filing job, anyone can do it (even me) so who can say it didnt go to the best qualified candidate ?

A common misconception, while most people could do it, not everybody could do it. I used to teach filing and there are rules. (e.g. Mc/Mac? What about where a name starts with St? Does Mr Roger come before or after Mr Rogers?)

I was working somewhere four years ago and somebody was off for the day, a customer came in and I needed to get their file out .... couldn't find it anywhere. It was for a Zoo. In the end, by asking everybody, we eventually found it filed under "A for animals" - and the person who knew this/told us didn't find this odd at all.

mjm3346

Uncertain wrote: »

This is absolutely none of the firm's business!

I hope she takes this firm to the cleaners. By the sound of it she has the resources to do so and this may benefit somebody less able in the future.

It is none of their business and if she had refused to answer the questions they could not have held it against her. However, she did answer the questions and has not been turned down for the job so there is very little chance of "taking the firm to cleaners" at this stage.
If she does not get the job the firm have made it much harder for themselves to defend a discrimination claim.

Uncertain

mjm3346 wrote: »

However, she did answer the questions and has not been turned down for the job so there is very little chance of "taking the firm to cleaners" at this stage.
If she does not get the job the firm have made it much harder for themselves to defend a discrimination claim.

Agreed.

I was assuming that she will be turned down as they have made their feelings pretty obvious!

It may of course be that somebody in the firm has the intelligence to realise what a huge hole they have dug. If so, they will probably offer her the job as a way out and then look for some "innocent" excuse to sack her during the first year.

Mad_Kitty_Kat

dehydrato wrote: »

It is a small company, less than 40 employees and is local to the area I live.

Less than 40 I would assume more than 30, this to me just makes it worse. You don't get to having this many employees without having previously experience of hiring/firing. I would go as far to say that they are lucky to still be in business if this is how go about recruitment.

I personally believe it is the culture of the business that has built up overtime, and nobody has questioned the appropriateness and that they are many ways stuck in the past. I think it really depends on what you want as to what you do and only you know how much it will bother you if you do nothing.

If you are not that fussed don't reply to the email, if they then don't offer you the job email back with a link to a page on the law. Explain that you are shocked the way they handled the recruitment process and you want an apology on headed paper from the Managing Dirctor of the business and an assurance that they will tighten up their practices and you will consider the matter closed.

Needhelpsaving

After reading that the interviewer's husband works at the same place as yours in a senior role, I would be careful in what action you take, as it could work out in your favour if you did go to court, but that guy could make your hubbies life hell everyday for years after. I am not trying to make you feel guilty by saying this and while I agree that the company are totally in the wrong for asking those questions; you have to ask yourself whether it is worth it.