Ramdon question, Employer asking age

Savvy_Sue

blondie12 wrote: »

thing is though id have thought they would say that in the advert

Said what? It would be very tricky to put an age range in an advert, even phrases like "school leaver" and "mature person" could fall foul of the age discrimination law.

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

like you said 'small ad in the paper'. They pay per advert size so they have limited space / text.

That too!

It wouldn't be the first question I'd ask, as a potential employer. I'd try to communicate what we were looking for without spelling it out in discriminatory terms, for example "we need someone who can take responsibility at the weekend when there are fewer care staff on duty" would hopefully indicate that this is probably not a job for a 16 year old school leaver.

shashaply

what sort of job is it?

t0rt0ise

shashaply wrote: »

what sort of job is it?

That's a trick question. You're just trying to see if we've read the thread!

Jarndyce

SevenOfNine wrote: »

Of course, it's a possibility that they WANT an older person.

You mean they might WANT to break the law?

Asking a job applicant's age is certainly indicative of an intention to discriminate. Unless there is an objective justification - in which case the question should be put in a clearer way - then if this applicant was unsuccessful they might well have a claim for age discrimination. But asking the question in itself is not unlawful.

hcb42

it is a totally pointless question however..for the job at hand, I imagine.

sjbrun

Where I work we sell BB Guns and Fireworks amongs other toys aimed at kids there are some things aimed at adults and for that reason all staff must be over 18 to serve those products. We have checked with the job centre and ACAS and we can write on the job adverts that staff must be over 18 for that reason. In the interview we ask if they are over the age of 18 but we dont directly ask their age. As far as i'm aware there must be a ligitamate reason to do this for health and safety or to comply with a law.

blondie12_2

well i have just received the application form for the weekend receptionist, and the first section where your name / address is, it also says 'DOB, age, no of dependants'....

Savvy_Sue

blondie12 wrote: »

well i have just received the application form for the weekend receptionist, and the first section where your name / address is, it also says 'DOB, age, no of dependants'....

WHAT? I really get annoyed by that last question, who cares how many I've got, it's my responsibility to sort out childcare, granny care, pet care and any other cares I might have.

Jarndyce

blondie12 wrote: »

well i have just received the application form for the weekend receptionist, and the first section where your name / address is, it also says 'DOB, age, no of dependants'....

I spend quite a proportion of my life involved with employment tribunal claims, one way or another. I see many claims (most of which do not reach court because the employer is forced to settle) where a job applicant regularly gets £1500 - £3000, just for applying for jobs with this sort of application form, then submitting a claim when they don't get the job.

Some are serial litigants who are being clamped down on more and more (because if they can show they never intended to take the job their claim falls) but many others are genuine applicants in their 40s and 50s (and beyond) fed up with being overlooked in the latter stages of their working lives.

I'm not advocating that people claim for applications which are not genuine, but that employers who continue to discriminate on age grounds are brought to task. Assuming this part of the application form is not detachable for the selection process (as the personal info parts often are) then this sounds like a prime candidate for an equality questionnaire followed by a claim.

blondie12_2

as i say, i can understand the age thing if it were for bar work or driving or something, but its for weekend receptionist at a care home...