Asked in interview about plans for a baby etc

sagalout1954

Loanranger wrote: »

Childcare arrangements have no bearing on anyone's ability to perform a role at work, whether male or female.

I beg to differ, watertight childcare arrangements have a HUGE bearing on the ability to perform a role at work. After all, if your kid is sick and a parent (either one) has to stay home to look after it, then they are completely UNABLE to perform their role at work.........they aren't there!

Still a whole list of inappropriate questions though - but I'm still all for some of them being asked, along with "how many sick days and on how many occasions, have you had over the last 2 years". I'm mighty fed up of working with 'duvet day' employees as well! Good job I'm not an interviewer.

Uncertain

sagalout1954 wrote: »

Still a whole list of inappropriate questions though - but I'm still all for some of them being asked, along with "how many sick days and on how many occasions, have you had over the last 2 years". I'm mighty fed up of working with 'duvet day' employees as well! Good job I'm not an interviewer.

You may be.....

However, what is being discussed here is what IS allowed, not what you or I think SHOULD be allowed.

lisyloo

Childcare arrangements have no bearing on anyone's ability to perform a role at work, whether male or female.

I would disagree with this statement.
I have a colleague (male as it happens) who is sometimes absent from work up to 50% of time due to child care.

I'm not saying it's acceptable to ask the questions, but to say it doesn't affect work it just wrong.
Even with child care in place, sometimes things go wrong - like illness, or schools closed due to snow.

I actually have the opposite problem.
I don't have children and sometimes find I am expected to travel more than those with children, so I feel I am discriminated against and expected to do more because I am childless.

Googlewhacker

lisyloo wrote: »

I would disagree with this statement.
I have a colleague (male as it happens) who is sometimes absent from work up to 50% of time due to child care.

I'm not saying it's acceptable to ask the questions, but to say it doesn't affect work it just wrong.
Even with child care in place, sometimes things go wrong - like illness, or schools closed due to snow.

I actually have the opposite problem.
I don't have children and sometimes find I am expected to travel more than those with children, so I feel I am discriminated against and expected to do more because I am childless.

Quite true in your last statement! I can well understand a company trying to limit their risk to a slacker/skiver/someone that takes the mick/ or a group of people that are more likely to be of work and cost the company money but they should know that those questions are unacceptable and it is just a risk in running a business that you have to take.

Uncertain

lisyloo wrote: »

I would disagree with this statement.
I have a colleague (male as it happens) who is sometimes absent from work up to 50% of time due to child care.

This is totally unacceptable and it is up to your firm to do something about it.

The law allows for SHORT periods of unpaid leave to deal with emergencies - nothing more.

However it may be the firm are quite happy as they are saving part of the salary in which case it is very unfair if other have to do extra work as a result.

Googlewhacker

Uncertain wrote: »

This is totally unacceptable and it is up to your firm to do something about it.

The law allows for SHORT periods of unpaid leave to deal with emergencies - nothing more.

However it may be the firm are quite happy as they are saving part of the salary in which case it is very unfair if other have to do extra work as a result.

Happy or more likely scared at being called foul maliciously when trying to run a business (but they should grow a backbone and deal with the problem)

chuckley

interviewers dont surprise me anymore after sum1 posted they were asked when their last period was.

I did 'LOL' through initial shock tho.

Savvy_Sue

expecting completely watertight childcare arrangements is ludicrous anyway.

things change: even the most robust arrangements can break down, and if my child was THAT sick, I'd be with them, not at work ... I've only once had a child in hospital overnight, and was only working a few hours pw anyway at that stage, but my place was with the child not at work.

equally, when my dad was dying, my place was with him. so asking about children is only ever half the story: pets, spouses, other relatives can all need our presence unexpectedly, as can plumbing and domestic energencies.

Uncertain

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

expecting completely watertight childcare arrangements is ludicrous anyway.

things change: even the most robust arrangements can break down, and if my child was THAT sick, I'd be with them, not at work ... I've only once had a child in hospital overnight, and was only working a few hours pw anyway at that stage, but my place was with the child not at work.

equally, when my dad was dying, my place was with him. so asking about children is only ever half the story: pets, spouses, other relatives can all need our presence unexpectedly, as can plumbing and domestic energencies.

These are excellent points.

In a serious enough situation almost everybody would attend to the family and deal with any work consequences later.

WestonDave

All of the above taken into account, I do wonder if a bit of haste is being taken here. Presumably the answers given to the "unwise" questions were truthful, and yet the employer has come back with more questions, which suggests they are sufficiently interested and not deterred by the answers given previously. Assuming that as an intending reliable employee, the OP has considered what will happen if their child is ill etc, then there is possibly no harm in giving non committal answers such as "my parents are often available to look after her" "I hope to be as flexible as possible regarding being available for cover" etc and seeing where this goes. If she then gets offered the job as I suggest there is still a good chance she may, she gets a decent job and can then once appointed make an appointment with the HR people to have a chat about the recruitment process and how she almost backed out of the process due to the intrusive and inappropriate nature of the questions and maybe that she felt that had the process gone in another direction she might have had grounds for taking legal advice about a discrimination case. That way its not cutting off her nose to spite this poor practice, but at the same time the employer gets told quite clearly that they need to wind it in!