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'Is your momma a whore?'


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Apparently so, but few others do. In short, basically HR person who been asked about this thinks that asking a job applicant if their mom is a prostitute is something you can't do. There's actually a pretty long list of non-sexual, non-threatening questions you're not allowed to ask. You can't ask someone's religion, marital status, age, and plenty of others.

 

Says who?

 

I don't see anything unlawful about it.

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Says who?

 

I don't see anything unlawful about it.

Says every HR expert that I've heard on the radio. Mind you, they also mention that it isn't technically illegal. However, to a man, they all say you are certainly treading on thin ice if you go down that path. Basically none of the forbidden topics were specifically forbidden until someone sued someone over asking them. Then they get added.

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However, to a man, they all say you are certainly treading on thin ice if you go down that path.

 

That's bs.

 

Irrational fears over imaginary laws and causes of action. That's why you can't find out any information about a prospective employee from his/her previous employer.

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That's bs.

 

Irrational fears over imaginary laws and causes of action. That's why you can't find out any information about a prospective employee from his/her previous employer.

Funny, these were sports radio stations talking to these guys. This wasn't Democracy Today on NPR. I'm guessing that if this was all about nothing, they would have been able to find a few experts to say so. But, neither did I specifically hear any, I didn't hear any referenced. Not a one.

 

I would imagine that some have paid for not having enough "irrational fears" about "imaginary laws" when they've been judged against in landmark cases that stretched discrimination laws to include newer, more specific boundaries. And asking a job applicant about what his mother does for a living would seem very ripe for this. If you ask someone this, especially given what they specifically asked and you don't hire that person, I would think you shouldn't be surprised if you have a battle on your hands.

 

If pressed, I'd imagine one would have to come through with massively overwhelming evidence that supports that children of prostitutes fare poorly in the job in question (relative to those who aren't), almost without exception. Otherwise, you're basing your hire on information that doesn't pertain to an applicant's ability to do a job. Further, you'll have a hell of a time lumping it with other random questions that also don't matter but are simply friendly chatter like, "Man, how about this weather, eh?" So, any concerns about a slippery slope may be a bit far-fetched.

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