Reader Mailbag - Can They Really Ask Me These Questions - Career Pivot

Reader Mailbag - Can They Really Ask Me These Questions - Career Pivot Can They Really Ask Me These Questions? This is the second of a series where I respond to readers’ questions. Sam asks: I am newly retired and was filling out an application for a part-time hospital clerical job online. They asked me to upload a resume, then asked me to type in: What year did you graduate from high school? How much money are you making now? How much pay will you accept? And then, Do you have a disability?And gave a column of different choices I could pick â€" I am diabetic and diabetes was one, but I am not ‘disabled’ in any way, shape or form. If I didn’t check that, I imagine I could be fired later for lying on the application. I was very uncomfortable because I would never give any of that information before even speaking to the company, but the fields were required. I could not submit my app unless I wrote something, and using all 0’s or 9’s didn’t cut it. Finally, I did it, because I am really interested in the job. Are these people trying to screen for age, or what? I think the last question on disability is borderline illegal if not actually so. Is this common for employers to do nowadays? Sam, I checked this out with several people at Texas Workforce Commission. The answer from them was that companies cannot ask these things. Unfortunately, asking these kinds of questions have become common again. When the EEOCcreated the rules that made asking these kinds of questions illegal, employers stopped asking. Well, employers are getting bold and are once again asking for information that is forbidden. It is now illegal in the state ofMassachusetts to ask your current salary. Your only real course of action is to report the employer to your local EEOC office. Listen to the most recent episode Fired with Cause and Running Out of Money Larry asks: I was fired with cause from my previous employer. It was a lousy situation and I was in an unethical position. I just wanted out. I have since worked at a Starbucks on a local college campus, but that was closed for the summer. I am running out of money and I have dipped into my retirement savings. What can I do? Larry, Have you filed for unemployment benefits? (I talked with Larry and he did not think he was eligible.) When you are fired with cause, you are not eligible for unemployment benefits based on your previous employer. Here is the catch, your previous employer is now Starbucks. In the state of Texas and most other states, unemployment benefits are based on your previous employer. Your benefits will be based on 9 months of earnings, not including the current quarter and the previous quarter. If you ever lose your job with cause, immediately register with a temporary agency and see if you can get a short-term assignment. Have you applied for food stamps? This is part of TANF or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. (His answer was no because he thought it was people worse of than him.) I would rather see you apply for government assistance than dip into your retirement savings. I know this is humbling to think that you need to do this but it does not hurt to go see if you are eligible. What Issues Are You Encountering? If you are having issues that you would like me to address in this monthly feature, please do one of the following: Respond to any e-mail that you have received from Career Pivot. Fill out my contact form. I look forward to hearing from the Career Pivot community. Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...