Turned down for a job - possible discrimination

[MontyVeda]

I threw my tea cup and saucer on the floor when I read this. 100% discrimination. I didn't know this still went on in this day and age.

course it does.

One of my former employers was having a bit of a rant about the problem with employing women, "When their kids are sick, they have to have time off work and i still have to pay 'em."

In my usual arsey manner, i pointed out than men often have time off work because their car wouldn't start, got pranged, needs a service, has broken down, is being sold... but in blokey-bloke world, car related problems are acceptable.

 

[KnackeredBike]

course it does.

One of my former employers was having a bit of a rant about the problem with employing women, "When their kids are sick, they have to have time off work and i still have to pay 'em."

In my usual arsey manner, i pointed out than men often have time off work because their car wouldn't start, got pranged, needs a service, has broken down, is being sold... but in blokey-bloke world, car related problems are acceptable.

I think as usual a small minority spoil it for the rest, I don't think anyone minds parents taking time off for a genuine illness but when they take it off because their child is "sunburnt" (yes a real one, they supposedly had to take them to A&E) people get annoyed.

Not that people don't take the mick and say their car is broken when they have just had a skinful the night before. Just that people remember more when it's because they're a mum, or because they're mentally ill, or whatever label they can slap on the supposed slothiness.

 

[Sandra6]

@User76 if they had allowed me time to pause and speak, that's pretty much how it would have gone, but they then threw me by asking if I was married,12 kids. They then asked how old the children were and how I managed working and family in more specific terms. At one point I simply said "I do have a husband and to be honest the children are all old enough to look after themselves"
Is it worth pursuing? possibly not. Will it make me feel better? doubtful. If they'd given me a better reason for not hiring me - given that this was not just one job, but several on offer - I would probably have just moved on and chalked it up to experience. But I've come over all militant feminist so I will see it through.
I've spoken to acas who have sent me some useful information, but pretty much the ball's in their court and I will have to wait and see what they come back with and then decide what I actually want from this.
Do I want a re-interview? Do I want the job? Is an apology enough?
I've never done anything like this before so I really dont know what to expect. WHich is where you lot come in.

 

[Sandra6]

course it does.

One of my former employers was having a bit of a rant about the problem with employing women, "When their kids are sick, they have to have time off work and i still have to pay 'em."

In my usual arsey manner, i pointed out than men often have time off work because their car wouldn't start, got pranged, needs a service, has broken down, is being sold... but in blokey-bloke world, car related problems are acceptable.

Interesting - I don't get paid if I take time off because of one of the children. I have to be allowed the time off, but it goes as an unpaid day unless I can slip a holiday request in real quick. Also interesting, or not, in the last five years I've only taken three days off due to sick children.

 

[MarkF]

@User76 if they had allowed me time to pause and speak, that's pretty much how it would have gone, but they then threw me by asking if I was married,12 kids. They then asked how old the children were and how I managed working and family in more specific terms. At one point I simply said "I do have a husband and to be honest the children are all old enough to look after themselves"
Is it worth pursuing? possibly not. Will it make me feel better? doubtful. If they'd given me a better reason for not hiring me - given that this was not just one job, but several on offer - I would probably have just moved on and chalked it up to experience. But I've come over all militant feminist so I will see it through.
I've spoken to acas who have sent me some useful information, but pretty much the ball's in their court and I will have to wait and see what they come back with and then decide what I actually want from this.
Do I want a re-interview? Do I want the job? Is an apology enough?
I've never done anything like this before so I really dont know what to expect. WHich is where you lot come in.

Sorry Sandra, You've raised the issue, a legitimate one, but now I'd just let it go, I can't see it giving you anything but further annoyance.

 

[Sandra6]

Sorry Sandra, You've raised the issue, a legitimate one, but now I'd just let it go, I can't see it giving you anything but further annoyance.

I think you're probably right, I'm already overthinking it which isn't good.
I think I'll be happy if they just say sorry and tell me I wasn't right for the job because everyone else had more direct sales experience or something.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Sorry Sandra, You've raised the issue, a legitimate one, but now I'd just let it go, I can't see it giving you anything but further annoyance.

Best advice so far.

 

[MontyVeda]

I think as usual a small minority spoil it for the rest, I don't think anyone minds parents taking time off for a genuine illness but when they take it off because their child is "sunburnt" (yes a real one, they supposedly had to take them to A&E) people get annoyed.

Not that people don't take the mick and say their car is broken when they have just had a skinful the night before. Just that people remember more when it's because they're a mum, or because they're mentally ill, or whatever label they can slap on the supposed slothiness.

sunburn can be quite serious... but one of the 'best' i heard was:

Boss - Why didn't you come into work today?
Staff - My daughter's ill.
Boss - Oh no! What's up with her?
Staff - She drank too much
Boss -

 

[jefmcg]

when they take it off because their child is "sunburnt"

That can be a very serious injury. I've had 2nd degree sunburn as a child. It's a second degree burn, no different to a second degree burn from steam or water.

Now I think about it, I've also had a third degree sunburn on my nose, that was so badly damaged it took over a year to heal. I was an adult then, and did not require medical attention.

(sorry for the digression, but really!)

 

[KnackeredBike]

That can be a very serious injury. I've had 2nd degree sunburn as a child. It's a second degree burn, no different to a second degree burn from steam or water.

Now I think about it, I've also had a third degree sunburn on my nose, that was so badly damaged it took over a year to heal. I was an adult then, and did not require medical attention.

(sorry for the digression, but really!)

Can't have been too serious, she was moaning because A&E just told her to go to a chemist but there were none open.

 

[Drago]

Isn't allowing your child to get so sunburned you have to take them to A and E a form of neglect?

 

[Senior67]

I was made redundant from a sales/ technical position just after the recession started at 60 and after 40 years in sales of power tools including working for Bosch and other companies went for an interview with a well known power tool and fixings company. The person doing the interview in his 30s, from the start was obnoxious and rude asking if I thought I would be able to do the job physically and mentally (although he didn't say at my age), he said he had other people he had to interview who were in their 20s and 30s and would be more capable to do the job, at this point he was starting to irritate me and I felt that whatever happened I was not going to get the job so I started to ask him questions about his experience at his age of 30ish and his experience in selling power tools which didn't go down very well, and he responded by asking me at what age I felt I would be retiring, at this point I asked him if he would be asking the same question to the other applicants in their 20s and 30s, he said of course not what a silly question to ask. I asked him for the name of his superior so I could send them an e mail regarding his behaviour, which I did, the same position was advertised again within a week with the name of a different interviewer.

 

[slowwww]

the same position was advertised again within a week with the name of a different interviewer.

You didn't get it second time around either, did you?

 

[Senior67]

No, I didn't apply although I was offered a new interview, started with a company doing internal sales selling something totally different, clamps to hold glass in balconies and stairs.And I enjoyed it.

 

[cyberknight]

I was told many years ago that i could not do the job role i was in properly but i could train a replacement who just happened to have married into the bosses family .