Job applications

[Grandma Helen]

Has anyone filled out an online job application recently?  I helped a friend today that's trying to get a late night job as a cashier at a convenience store.  I couldn't believe some of the questions.  One that got me was "are you over 16 and under 40".  Then they wanted to know if "anyone in your household has received welfare or food stamps in the last 3 years".  I can't, for the life of me figure out what that has to do with someone's qualifications.  Of course, we had a lot of fun with the questions about how to react to this or that.  Nothing like to retirees making fun of a bunch of questions.

[Lily]

Can they even ask those questions...legally? Sounds like discrimination to me. And at a convenience store?

[Abby Aberdeen]

They cannot ask questions about age like that. Hmmmm.. that really pisses me off. Oh well, it is not the first time and I am sure not the last.

[Lily]

I am old enough to remember looking for jobs in the paper under the heading: Help Wanted, Female. It was the norm then,,,but seems so outrageous now, doesn't it?

[Grandma Helen]

It's not just any convenience store, it's part of a major chain.  I was flabbergasted.  I would get thrown off the site if I put on here what I said when I saw it.  I'm not sure what annoyed me more was the questions about welfare and food stamps or the one about the age thing.  The one about the social service programs did give you the option of not "saying".  My friend has her son living with her and he gets assistance, because he doesn't have a job.  She opted out from answering.  Then at the end they ask for your date of birth, so they can run a background check.  So you really have to wonder what the question with the age thing is really all about.  I fully understand asking if you are over 16, because of problems working at night etc. 

[Lily]

Well, when I find stuff out like that...reason enough to not spend my money there!

[Grandma Helen]

It's frustrating because we know people are looking for jobs on welfare, but that information needs to be used judiciously, but instead to let government report that they have hired someone who was so they can stop the social services assistance they were going  to be getting. 

[Grandma Helen]

Kooner, I was absolutely shocked when I saw those questions as I was helping my friend do the application.  It's a major corporation that is all over this area with convenience stores and gas pumps.  The entire application was geared for young folks. 

[dwalt]

I work HR and those questions are illegal. But then they ask for a copy of your license and that gives away your age. The welfare food stamp question I really don't get.