Asking for your sexual orientation on job applications.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been applying for jobs since we are all uncertain right now. Granted it's been a long time since doing this I'm shocked by some of these questions on the applications. So now I think I've seen it all. First gender, what you identify as now a huge list instead of "male" or "female" or "trans." I was asked for my sexual orientation: heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, pansexual, you get it, basically WHO do you like to have sex with. This was NOT optional. It was a drop down you could not get passed unless you answered. Why would any company need to know what your sexual preference was and furthermore why would it matter? Is this typical? Have you seen this before? I'm taking a aback because I don't know why they would need this information and I was always taught to keep your professional work separate from your private life. This steps over the line to me. It feels very inappropriate. I did not apply to the job. Anyone in HR can shed some light?

Seen a doctor lately? Many of the same questions.

The doctor is different - who you have sex with can impact the education they want to provide.

[Anonymous]

This is extremely common and you can opt. Almost all modern companies will ask you to identify your gender, race, if you’re a veteran, if you have disabilities, and your sexual orientation. It’s primarily for tracking if candidates are being discriminated against.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Identify the organization or we won't believe you. This sounds entirely made up, by you.

Atlassian

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is extremely common and you can opt. Almost all modern companies will ask you to identify your gender, race, if you’re a veteran, if you have disabilities, and your sexual orientation. It’s primarily for tracking if candidates are being discriminated against.

Sexual orientation? No. Not common. I submitted five applications last week. And, five the week before that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No idea. I've been job hunting for about 6 months and have seen it a few times. It's just weird.

Right???!! If they give you the option not to answer do you? And if they don't do you select the correct option? What did you do? These were the choices:

Man, woman, cisgender, transgender, non-binary, intersex, two-spirit

Asexual, biosexual, gay, heterosexual, lesbian, pansexual, queer, questioning, other I will self-describe

Asking that question is so blatantly illegal, and has been illegal forever.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you even consider working for an organization which classified applicants and employees that way? It tells you all you need to know about their politics and biases.

That is exactly why they do it. It weeds out folks like you allowing them to focus on hiring the best team players.

The question itself is illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Why would you even consider working for an organization which classified applicants and employees that way? It tells you all you need to know about their politics and biases.

That is exactly why they do it. It weeds out folks like you allowing them to focus on hiring the best team players.

Those people who want those questions are the opposite of the best team players.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is extremely common and you can opt. Almost all modern companies will ask you to identify your gender, race, if you’re a veteran, if you have disabilities, and your sexual orientation. It’s primarily for tracking if candidates are being discriminated against.

The question is illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I've been applying for jobs since we are all uncertain right now. Granted it's been a long time since doing this I'm shocked by some of these questions on the applications. So now I think I've seen it all. First gender, what you identify as now a huge list instead of "male" or "female" or "trans." I was asked for my sexual orientation: heterosexual, homosexual, asexual, pansexual, you get it, basically WHO do you like to have sex with. This was NOT optional. It was a drop down you could not get passed unless you answered. Why would any company need to know what your sexual preference was and furthermore why would it matter? Is this typical? Have you seen this before? I'm taking a aback because I don't know why they would need this information and I was always taught to keep your professional work separate from your private life. This steps over the line to me. It feels very inappropriate. I did not apply to the job. Anyone in HR can shed some light?

Seen a doctor lately? Many of the same questions.

I’ve also encountered these questions at several doctors offices. Surprisingly, having encountered it at doctors’s offices that I’ve gone to for decades.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Identify the organization or we won't believe you. This sounds entirely made up, by you.

Atlassian

This isn’t a US entity, right?

[Anonymous]

I have seen this on several online job applications but there is always an option “opt out” or “refuse to identify” there is always an option out. That’s what I pick. The refuse to identify option.

[Anonymous]

Why would such a question be on a job application?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’ve been applying for jobs for over a year and have never seen anything beyond gender and that was F/M/prefer not to answer.

What companies specifically?

OP, you should make sure you’re applying to legit companies and not being scammed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:This is extremely common and you can opt. Almost all modern companies will ask you to identify your gender, race, if you’re a veteran, if you have disabilities, and your sexual orientation. It’s primarily for tracking if candidates are being discriminated against.

The question is illegal.

It is always a voluntary request which you can choose not to answer. That isn't illegal.

[Anonymous]

I am not a lawyer, but I believe that most of these "illegal" interview questions are totally legal to ask. The issue is when one discriminates against candidates based upon certain criteria.

That doesn't change the fact that my skin color and whom I prefer to have sex with aren't really any of their business, outside of a few specfic cases.