Any time I went to apply for a job, I would go into the place of business and take 10 or 15 minutes to fill out an application. I would either get an interview right then and there or waited until if and when they called me. Some businesses still have that policy of applying for a job. Mostly big corporations have you do it electronically online/on a computer. Now that seems even better doesn't it? Wrong. First you have to register with the companies website with a valid email address. I guess it is for them to spam you in case you don't get the job. If you do not do it right or answer any/all of the questions they ask you you do not pass go. So you could be there for an hour on one question. It usually takes about an hour total to fill one of theses stupid things out. They Pretty much ask you for your life story. It does not stop there. They ask you personal questions. "Have you ever used drugs or alcohol?" Yeah, Ok. Like I might answer that one truthfully. It is none of your business . Another question is: "Were you or any family member ever on welfare or government assistance?" Again. None of your business. Someone told me the reason they ask that question is the government gives the business a kick back if they hire someone who was on government assistance. "Did you ever steal?" Like someone would say yes . "Were you ever depressed/suffer from depression?" I think my doctor should be the only one who has the authority to ask that question not some idiot management team who is playing psychologist. You will go through many screens with many more stupid questions, ones that are not on any paper application I ever filled out and ones that do not pertain to the job. They will also do a credit check and if you have bad credit they will not hire you. What bad credit has to do with anything job related is beyond me. To me that is discrimination and should be illegal. I can't get a part time job scrubbing toilets because my credit is shot. Are they afraid I might steal the toilet or the shit that's in it? I could see if I was applying to work at Fort Knox but some shitty retail job? Give me a break. You want someone with experience or someone who is a good worker but you won't hire them because there credit sucks. We are in a recession, someones credit is going to suck more then ever before. Maybe if they judged someone on their experience and work ethic and not on their financial status maybe the economy would be just that much better.
Now comes the interview. One of the questions they ask you is how much are you looking to make? You tell them one price and they tell you another. I worked with someone who said do this. "If you pay me minimum wage you get the minimum wage job performance, if you pay me 12 dollars you get the 12 dollar an hour job performance." I think that is a great idea. You probably won't get the job but at least you will leave with your dignity and self respect in tact. It always seems to me, that the back breaking grunt jobs pay the least, the labor that make the company millions/billions of dollars. Even secretaries, who answer phones,don't have to ruin their clothes/can wear nice clothes, sit on their asses and make coffee get paid more. What's wrong with that scenario? The physical labor jobs, such as warehouse/factory should be making at least 30 an hour. They risk their health/injury, exposed to unsatisfactory working conditions, such as dangerous chemicals, no heat/air in the appropriate weather and a lot of times no benefits/health insurance. Instead of paying managers and higher ups, who walk around, drink coffee and bark orders/abuse their power, high 5 to 6 figure salaries, give it the workers, who break their ass, making these companies filthy rich. Pay the managers less then what they're making because they do the least amount of physical work.
Manager Mentality. It seems that managers become instant assholes when they get the power of authority. There motto is. "Do as I say , not as I do." They are supposed to be setting examples but as we know, they abuse their power. They can leave early, come in late, take days off when they want and they still have their jobs but if a regular employee does that we are on the unemployment line. They always like to threaten you with your job."it's tough out there, there are a lot of other people who would be happy with this job." They should ad the word shitty before the word job. A good example is. I worked in a major retailer and they just hired a new maintenance manager. He was building walls around where his office was. The story I heard was that someone questioned why he was putting up walls and he said "to make it more like an office." So they said ok and left him alone. They had put a camera in his office. He was stealing Vcr's, stereos, etc.. So they confronted him. They made a deal with him. He had until noon of that day or the next to bring all the stolen goods back or they were going to call the police and press charges. Anyone of the regular employees who stole anything was cuffed and stuffed with no questions asked. Why is a manager above the law and not anyone else? Same place. A manager was going to be let go. They told him. They gave him a week or two to find another job. Again , anyone else would have been gone immediately.
Now you have cheap companies. Any company with big money is always cheap when it comes to their employees. I worked for another big retailer. They created overtime but did not pay for it. So they gave us extended lunches for a week and a half to take away the overtime. In the state of New Jersey, it is a law, if you are working overnight and are locked in/not allowed to leave for lunch your employer has to pay you for it. So when this same retailer found out they had to pay for lunches they disbanded the overnight shift.
I found this on Yahoo.com. 8 things employers are not allowed to ask you. Here is the link but I will copy and paste them here. I knew they were not allowed to ask certain questions by law. I think there is even a book about what employers cannot ask. Some of these things I have found listed are on the online applications when you apply to companies.
http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110601/8-things-employers-arent-allowed-to-ask-you
1. How old are you?
The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA), protects individuals who are 40 or older from being discriminated against in the workplace in favor of younger employees. There is no federal protection in place to protect workers younger than 40 from age discrimination. To determine if you are legally eligible to perform a job, employers are allowed to ask if you are over the age of 18.
2. Are you married?
Questions about marital status are prohibited. Employers might be tempted to ask this question to find out if your relationship could have a negative impact on your work. For example, if you are married you might be more likely to leave the company if your spouse gets a job transferred to a different city. Even a question as seemingly innocent as "Do you wish to be addressed as Mrs., Miss, or Ms.?" is not allowed.
3. Are you a U.S. citizen?
Citizenship and immigration status cannot be used against a potential employee during the hiring process according to The Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 (IRCA). Employers must wait until after a job offer had been extended to require a worker to complete the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9) Form and submit documentation that proves identity and employment authorization. It is lawful for an employer to ask an interviewee if they are authorized to work in the US.
4. Do you have any disabilities?
This question might seem necessary to determine if a job applicant can perform the required duties, but it is illegal to ask under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. Employers cannot discount anyone from a job because of a physical or mental disability. In fact, the law requires that they accommodate disabilities unless they can prove it would cause significant difficulty or expense to do so. Employers also cannot ask you if you have had any past illnesses or operations.
5. Do you take drugs, smoke or drink?
Concerns about drug, alcohol or nicotine addictions are valid as they can impact an employee's quality of work and the rates of a company's health insurance coverage. However, an employer might find themselves in legal trouble if they don't frame questions about these potential problems in a careful manner. They are allowed to ask if you have ever been disciplined for violating company policies about the use of alcohol and tobacco products. They can also ask directly if you use illegal drugs, but an employer can't inquire about your use of prescription medications.
6. What religion do you practice?
Inquires about religious beliefs are a sensitive issue. An interviewer might be curious for scheduling reasons such as holidays that an employee might need off, or if the candidate will be unavailable to work on weekends because of religious obligations. It is illegal to intentionally discriminate against an employee or harass them based on their religious beliefs. Employers are required to accommodate an employee's religious beliefs or practices in regards to things such as dress and grooming policy and flexible scheduling.
7. What is your race?
There is no situation in which questions about an employee's race or skin color should be use to determine their eligibility for a job. This protection is granted under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 that prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, sex or national origin. Employers are permitted to ask an employee to reveal their race on a voluntary basis for affirmative action purposes.
8. Are you pregnant?
Questions about family status tend to affect women the most, but they can also pertain to men in certain situations. Employers might have concerns about an employee taking time off work for pregnancy leave or not having child care arrangements during work hours. The Pregnancy Discrimination Act states that an employer cannot refuse to hire a pregnant woman because of her pregnancy, because of a pregnancy-related condition, or because of the prejudices of co-workers, clients or customers.
It is, however, lawful for employers to ease their nerves about an employee's availability or commitment to a position by asking about long-term career goals or the ability for an employee to work overtime and travel.
The Bottom Line
It is important to know your rights as an employee. Unlawful questions are not acceptable on applications, during the interview process or in the workplace. Although improper questions by employers might be simple mistakes, they could also be intentional cases of discrimination that should be reported.
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