# How to answer illegal questions (job interview) **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 28, 1999, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597 "1999-09-28T18:27:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TubaDiva](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tubadiva/32/507_2.png) [@TubaDiva](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TubaDiva)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/21 "1999-09-29T06:03:00Z")
> [@](#): > > Why would someone with carpal tunnel want to use an air gun 20,000 times a day? If you put on your back brace along with your shorts, why take a job where you’re going to have to lift 50 pounds all day long? Because your kids gotta eat. Many people with serious disabilities and/or on the job injuries get screwed out of insurance coverage, disability payments, and workers compensation coverage. To give just one example, in Maine you have to practically lose a limb to get workers comp – you’ll get fired before you collect anything, you can’t even get a lawyer to take your case unless you pay them up front (Maine doesn’t allow contingency cases on wc) – and most people injured on the job find they must try to hold on to their job as long as possible. If they can’t work, often the only way they can collect anything is to get fired and collect unemployment. Which soon runs out . . . and they have to go to work. Which is when they show up at your company, Pam. your humble TubaDiva ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/22 "1999-09-29T14:28:00Z")
All you people who suggested writing down all the questions and answers so that they can be used as evidence — Is this really feasable? How would you do this without a tape recorder? ---
**Author:** ![Keeves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f05b48/32.png) [@Keeves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeves)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/23 "1999-09-29T14:32:00Z")
How about a response like: “That’s an interesting question. I don’t mind answering you, but first I’d like to ask you something: As far as I understand it, that question was illegal, and I’m wondering if you really want to know the answer, or if maybe you’re just testing to see how honest I am.” ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/24 "1999-09-29T15:25:00Z")
Keeves, hee hee, wouldn’t be long before you were showed the door. I would just answer the questions telling them what they want to hear. Also, why would any of you want to work for someone who asks questions they aren’t supposed to? ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/25 "1999-09-29T15:28:00Z")
Also, I suppose I shouldn’t say this, but, ah why not? One time a restaurant tried to get a liquor license near me & so posted a notice of such as required by law. I didn’t want any more drunks around so I did protest it by writing a letter. Turned out that I was the only one who wrote a letter. The people who owned the restaurant came to see me & offered me a job if would withdraw my protest. I did. But hey, I was in my 20’s… Also did it one more time with a really large hotel chain. Got myself another job at the salary I wanted. No interviews. ---
**Author:** ![Diceman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Diceman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diceman)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 1999, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/26 "1999-09-29T22:36:00Z")
I wouldn’t be bothered by most of those questions, but if I was I’d think log and hard about whether I really wanted to work with such people. You can whine about lawsuits, but when you get right down to it, you would likely find the work environment hostile to you. Who would want to go into that everyday? * * * “I had a feeling that in Hell there would be mushrooms.” -The Secret of Monkey Island ---
**Author:** ![AuntiePam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@AuntiePam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AuntiePam)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/27 "1999-09-30T00:28:00Z")
Tuba Diva – work comp horror stories could have a thread all their own, couldn’t they? Although it’s hard for me to believe Iowa might be progressive in anything, we seem to at least have Maine beat in how we treat injured workers. And I hadn’t considered that some of the folks we’re hiring might have been injured somewhere else and be desperate for work. But why not take advantage of voc rehab and retraining programs, or lower your standard of living for a bit and return to school? That makes more sense than taking a job you know you can’t handle and risking further injury (possibly permanent). ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/28 "1999-09-30T02:37:00Z")
Well I’m sure no one cares but I just got the job. (pending the drug test, which I don’t do drugs so…) Anyway thanks for your responses. I know it is difficult working with the ADA but another things comes to mind. But another answer to the queston about why would people lie to get a job simple. Unemployment. To get it you have to be available to work. Like this job is $2,000 more than my last job, better hours etc. But I know I could get another job paying at least _another_ $3000 more a year. But if I refused this job I would be off unemployment. If you are sick you aren’t looking for work and they can kick you off unemployment. As for the ADA what we did at my last job was had a 2 week probation. IF you couldn’t perform within 2 weeks we let you go. We let probably 20 of the new hires go in that period. It is a waste of money, but it is fair. There are too many people that are discriminated against. ---
**Author:** ![Poto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7ab992/32.png) [@Poto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Poto)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/29 "1999-09-30T04:12:00Z")
My attitude is that if some goofball asks inappropriate questions, but is not someone I will work with, I ignore it. Like some HR person, but they usually are trained. I did get some pretty probing psychology questions once at an interview.I got a letter informing me that person had been doing this without permission and that they apologize.I didn’t get the job. Are psychological tests legal? ---
**Author:** ![NanoByte](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecc23a/32.png) [@NanoByte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NanoByte)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 8:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/30 "1999-09-30T08:45:00Z")
JRK: I found [your lost beeps](http://www.tsoft.net/~raych/RoadRunner.htm)! ---
**Author:** ![glee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b5a626/32.png) [@glee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/glee)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/31 "1999-09-30T22:11:00Z")
Markxxx, Congratulations on getting the job! ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/32 "1999-09-30T22:21:00Z")
Thank you Nano, but my beeps were actually supposed to be the “beep” you hear on Jerry Springer when one of the guests loses their temper and lets fly a choice expletive. Maybe TV and radio could use the road runner’s meep-meep instead to mask profanity! That would be funnier. * * * Jacques Kilchoer Workers of the world, unite! You have nothing to lose but your chains. ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 1999, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597/33 "1999-09-30T22:42:00Z")
Thank you Glee. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-to-answer-illegal-questions-job-interview/3597.md?page=1)