Community Chat

[SloopJohnB]

@caroln242  Years ago when one of my children applied for a job at a major grocery store they swabbed his mouth right there & then.  He complied.  Not that he would have had anything to worry about anyway.

I guess they want to weed out......no pun intended.......people that potentially they wouldn't end up hiring. 

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@caroln242 wrote:

My problem isn't with providing my age, it's with having to submit to a drug test just to submit an application.  I realize it's becoming standard practice to drug test employees or prospective employees, but just to submit an application??  No way.  I went to an agency looking for just a part time job and was told I'd have to take a drug test the same day I filled out the application.  When I walked out they acted all cavalier about it, like I was being unreasonable.  Guess they thought this 65 year old lady was a druggie when I did that!  I'm old fashioned I suppose, but I was appalled.

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[drizzellla]

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@SloopJohnB wrote:

@caroln242  Years ago when one of my children applied for a job at a major grocery store they swabbed his mouth right there & then.  He complied.  Not that he would have had anything to worry about anyway.

I guess they want to weed out......no pun intended.......people that potentially they wouldn't end up hiring. 

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@caroln242 wrote:

My problem isn't with providing my age, it's with having to submit to a drug test just to submit an application.  I realize it's becoming standard practice to drug test employees or prospective employees, but just to submit an application??  No way.  I went to an agency looking for just a part time job and was told I'd have to take a drug test the same day I filled out the application.  When I walked out they acted all cavalier about it, like I was being unreasonable.  Guess they thought this 65 year old lady was a druggie when I did that!  I'm old fashioned I suppose, but I was appalled.

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When I applied for a job 25 years ago I had to have a drug test. I had to go to a special place and all they did were drug tests. 

I was afraid I was going to be late for my appointment and my bladder didn't feel like there was anything in it. So I stopped and ran into my house. I didn't bother to turn on lights. Grabbed a glass from the dishwasher and filled it with water. And drank it. Got to the bottom and after drinking it, realized there was Cascade powder in the bottom of the glass.

What could I do. I worried all the way as I drove to the drug test place. Nothing I could do. So I took the drug test. The company called me and said I had the job. Guess the company was not including Cascade in the drugs they were looking for in their screening.

[SloopJohnB]

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@drizzellla wrote:

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@SloopJohnB  What could I do. I worried all the way as I drove to the drug test place. Nothing I could do. So I took the drug test. The company called me and said I had the job. Guess the company was not including Cascade in the drugs they were looking for in their screening.

@drizzellla     I guess you really tested "clean."   LOL    At my job I had to take a drug test like at the type of place you mentioned where that's all they do.  Also, every 2 years for my job, we still have to go through random drug testing. 

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[Icegoddess]

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@lovesrecess wrote:

My mother had two friends who were overtly mistreated as they got close to retirement and entitled to a sizable pension. The company tried hard to get them both to quit, but coworkers chipped in and helped them carry very heavy boxes, etc that the company knew they could not do....and they both lasted until they could retire. Am sure it really chapped the company, but it still happens everyday. Companies try to worm their way out of paying money they have promised to loyal workers who are entitled to their pension. They don't like older workers...but do value their experience and wisdom.

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@lovesrecess I think most companies are getting away from pensions/retirement altogether.  People job-hop a lot more these days.  I havn't been in the job market for years, but several years ago when two large airplane manufacturing companies merged, many of the benefits for the employees of one of those companies and new employees were diminished while the legacy employees of the other company got to keep all theirs.  How's that for discrimination?  

My husband and I both worked for the company that lost benefits.  However, I don't think the company even offers a pension plan anymore  They actually bought me out of mine.  I could've kept it, but my financial advisor found some products he felt could outperform what I would eventually get as a pension, so I took the buyout.  Hubby, being eleven years older than me, was too close to retirement to do anything with a buyout, so he does get a pension; however, they did offer a buyout to him also.

I would imagine most age discrimination lawsuits are from people already employed with a company rather than from people trying to get hired.  It's really hard to prove why a company hires or doesn't hire an applicant.  And, whether age, sex, or race are entered on the job application or not, it becomes pretty obvious aat the interview. Also, many older people are entering college now for whatever reason, so entereing a date for that really doesn't tell the employer your age.  

[SurferWife]

Back in the mid-90's I worked for a company who, although it was not explicitly communicated, didn't hire women who had children (well, we actually had 1 who did, but it was definitely for appearances only).  A colleague became pregnant after being there for maybe a year or so & they made her life so miserable she quit.

[northiie57]

This is just from my experience, when it hit bottom and companies where downsizing or shutting down, manufacturing jobs took a very big hit.  My late husband, my sister and I all were effected and had to basically start over our job career, mind you we had 25+ years in the industry.  We both lost our homes, was a very rough time.  On the millions of job applications we filled out, went to interviews, most companies did not hire us.  I do not care how you slice it, they do discriminate.  The jobs we applied for we were overqualified and had job experience.  The would hire a younger person with NO qualifications or job experience.  Companies would rather invest in a younger person who will work longer for them.  I also have a good friend that was discriminated for years at her job she worked for over 20 years because of her weight.  She never could advance even though well qualified and did most of her boss's work, the company where she worked corporate for Red Cross.  I feel they do discriminate, but it is impossible to prove that they are.  JMO

[Greeneyedlady21]

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@songbird wrote:

Its a federal law, but I'm sure it's used to discriminate.  It's very difficult to prove if you think you were discriminated.  It's just one of those things you can't really do anything about. Some companies want young, vigorous, lower paid candidate. I remember recently we were looking for a new library president.  We had 6 candidates.  They all had to  make an speech on why they were the best person for the job.  One of them, was a 60 plus woman who had decided to come back from retirement. She wasn't picked.  The person that got the job was for such a position (late 30's) and male.   We preferred the woman.  But somebody made a crack about how they wanted person that would not drop dead less then a year after being hired. So believe it or not, that is a factor.

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Wow completely unprofessional. I wouldn't want to work in a place where a "crack" like that is overlooked and acceptable. And used against an applicant.

Not to mention the fact that a person in their 60's is hardly going to "drop dead" less than a year after being hired. Just shows you what older workers are up against.

Can't wait until the person who made that comment gets older. Karma, just desserts, and the rest.

[webbgarner1]

@gertrudecloset  Some employers especially state,local or federal agencies need such information to do criminal background checks.

[gertrudecloset]

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@vsm wrote:

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@Kachina624 wrote:

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@vsm wrote:

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@MM13 wrote:

I've been filling out job applications online recently and one that I did today asked me to fill in my birthdate. I tried to skip that part in the form as I thought this was illegal, but it wouldn't let me proceed without doing that part.

I entered it in, but I'm not too thrilled about it. When did this become something they were allowed to ask?

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When did it become a question that a prospective employer was NOT allowed to ask?

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@vsm   It's not a matter of not being allowed.  A smart employer doesn't want to know certain thing because if he doesn't know, he can't be accused of discriminating on that basis. There are certain things which just aren't asked. 

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Plenty of  employers -- whether "smart" in your book or not -- ask an applicant's age.  Date of birth is included as a matter of course on job applications and resumes. When it's not included,  it's usually inferable from work history, educational background, references, etc. Every employer I've ever had since I was 15 has either asked my age outright or learned it from my application or resume and/or during an interview.  I've done the same as an employer myself.  It's pretty standard.

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@vsmNone of this true.  I guess where YOU live you are asked your d.o.b. and age.  An application doesn't need both of those questions, as any one of those questions will give them the answer they need.  These questions are not asked on any applications in my state.  Along with everything that is illegal under EEOC.

My state does NOT allow an employer to ask these things on an application.  Sure, if one makes it through the door for an interview some may be able to glean from your looks, but what looks like Silver, might just be gold.

[gertrudecloset]

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@Goldengate8361 wrote:

Age should not be asked. It is irrelevant. If an employer needs to know if you are over 18, that might be ok....but that is it. Counter to what some have said in this thread, I think it is illegal for employers to ask.

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It is frowned upon by EEOC and it is illegal in my state and in accordance with what I've read on EEOC about age discrimination.

Since filling out an application for employment is "recruitment" the following is provided guidance by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission:

Recruitment

It is also illegal for an employer to recruit new employees in a way that discriminates against them because of their race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), national origin, age (40 or older), disability or genetic information.

For example, an employer's reliance on word-of-mouth recruitment by its mostly Hispanic work force may violate the law if the result is that almost all new hires are Hispanic.

https://www.eeoc.gov/prohibited-employment-policiespractices