Interviewers 'still ask bad questions'

Consumer rights organisation Which? has published a new guide to help job interviewees and their potential employers understand the law.

Since October 2006, many conventional job interview questions have been illegal under discrimination legislation. In the CV and Interview Handbook, Which? provides a comprehensive breakdown of what an interviewer can ask.

The handbook’s author Sue Tumelty said: "Long gone are the bad old days when a nervous interviewee had to answer all sorts of questions about their lifestyle and their personal views, rather than their ability to do the job."

"Employers can’t judge a candidate’s ability on their age, sex or religious views, for example. They’ve no business asking about these things."

Which? says the most common banned question is whether a potential employee is planning to start a family. But marital status, political views and even union membership are also out-of-bounds areas.

The report points out that in the vast majority of cases, even a date-of-birth box on an application form potentially breaks the law. In order to be exempt from specific rules, employers must demonstrate that there is an "overriding genuine occupational qualification".