Illegal questions for nannies...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do understand that the courts have a lot more pressing matters to deal with than your allegedly secret recordings of allegedly illegal questions that have no actual consequences, right?

+1

You should be ashamed of discouraging people from asserting their rights. You can ask whatever questions you like when hiring, you are NOT allowed to make hiring decisions off of them. If a nanny can prove that you did, then you deserve everything you get. And, yes, many employment laws do not extend to small employers and domestic workers, but times are changing sweetie, and they are changing because someone spoke up. Stop encouraging people to remain silent.

How will the nanny "prove that you did"? All an employer needs to say is that a candidate was chosen that was a better fit for the job. That's how they do it in the real world.

Doesn't matter if the nanny could prove that you did. It's not illegal.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do understand that the courts have a lot more pressing matters to deal with than your allegedly secret recordings of allegedly illegal questions that have no actual consequences, right?

+1

You should be ashamed of discouraging people from asserting their rights. You can ask whatever questions you like when hiring, you are NOT allowed to make hiring decisions off of them. If a nanny can prove that you did, then you deserve everything you get. And, yes, many employment laws do not extend to small employers and domestic workers, but times are changing sweetie, and they are changing because someone spoke up. Stop encouraging people to remain silent.

How will the nanny "prove that you did"? All an employer needs to say is that a candidate was chosen that was a better fit for the job. That's how they do it in the real world.

Doesn't matter if the nanny could prove that you did. It's not illegal.

Sometimes people are tempted to secretly record a conversation. THAT is illegal, a felony, unless it is court-authorized.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do understand that the courts have a lot more pressing matters to deal with than your allegedly secret recordings of allegedly illegal questions that have no actual consequences, right?

+1

You should be ashamed of discouraging people from asserting their rights. You can ask whatever questions you like when hiring, you are NOT allowed to make hiring decisions off of them. If a nanny can prove that you did, then you deserve everything you get. And, yes, many employment laws do not extend to small employers and domestic workers, but times are changing sweetie, and they are changing because someone spoke up. Stop encouraging people to remain silent.

How will the nanny "prove that you did"? All an employer needs to say is that a candidate was chosen that was a better fit for the job. That's how they do it in the real world.

Doesn't matter if the nanny could prove that you did. It's not illegal.

Sometimes people are tempted to secretly record a conversation. THAT is illegal, a felony, unless it is court-authorized.

What makes you think that?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do understand that the courts have a lot more pressing matters to deal with than your allegedly secret recordings of allegedly illegal questions that have no actual consequences, right?

+1

You should be ashamed of discouraging people from asserting their rights[/b]. You can ask whatever questions you like when hiring, you are NOT allowed to make hiring decisions off of them. If a nanny can prove that you did, then you deserve everything you get. And, yes, many employment laws do not extend to small employers and domestic workers, but times are changing sweetie, and they are changing because someone spoke up. Stop encouraging people to remain silent.

How will the nanny "prove that you did"? All an employer needs to say is that a candidate was chosen that was a better fit for the job. That's how they do it in the real world.

Doesn't matter if the nanny could prove that you did. It's not illegal.

Sometimes people are tempted to secretly record a conversation. THAT is illegal, a felony, unless it is court-authorized.

[b]What makes you think that?

See OP's original post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You do understand that the courts have a lot more pressing matters to deal with than your allegedly secret recordings of allegedly illegal questions that have no actual consequences, right?

+1

You should be ashamed of discouraging people from asserting their rights. You can ask whatever questions you like when hiring, you are NOT allowed to make hiring decisions off of them. If a nanny can prove that you did, then you deserve everything you get. And, yes, many employment laws do not extend to small employers and domestic workers, but times are changing sweetie, and they are changing because someone spoke up. Stop encouraging people to remain silent.

How will the nanny "prove that you did"? All an employer needs to say is that a candidate was chosen that was a better fit for the job. That's how they do it in the real world.

Doesn't matter if the nanny could prove that you did. It's not illegal.

Sometimes people are tempted to secretly record a conversation. THAT is illegal, a felony, unless it is court-authorized.

It actually depends on the state. There is kind of an gray area in the law here but in most states only one person involved in the conversation needs to give "consent" to be recorded. The person doing the recording counts as the one giving consent. The issue though is that if you record someone in a private place such as their home it is very unlikely to be admissible in court. And also as an FYI, Maryland IS one of the states where everyone involved in a conversation has to give consent to be recorded. So in Maryland it IS illegal. Even in states where only one party has to give permission any lawyer would tell you to be very careful when recording someone without consent. As I said it's kind of a gray area in the law.

[Anonymous]

Looks like there are several good reasons not to enter a total stranger's home when you have no clue who they are.

Clearly many nannies are engaging in risky, unsafe, and ignorant behavior.

Unfortunate for them if they get unlucky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like there are several good reasons not to enter a total stranger's home when you have no clue who they are.

Clearly many nannies are engaging in risky, unsafe, and ignorant behavior.

Unfortunate for them if they get unlucky.

How did you get that from this thread? I'm not saying nannies shouldn't be careful when they go to someone's home for an interview but this thread is about questions asked on interviews. It might be annoying but how is that unsafe or risky?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are other jobs where someone needs to disclose if they are on medication. Pilots, machine operators, military, positions requiring clearance etc. Just because it isn't required for an RN doesn't mean it isn't required for other positions. (Frankly, the medical community is one of the worst groups at self regulation and guarding against mistakes.)

A nanny has no supervision while she works and is responsible for a non-verbal child.

I agree with this. A truck driver has to disclose this. A nanny should too. Doctors and nurses? They should as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are other jobs where someone needs to disclose if they are on medication. Pilots, machine operators, military, positions requiring clearance etc. Just because it isn't required for an RN doesn't mean it isn't required for other positions. (Frankly, the medical community is one of the worst groups at self regulation and guarding against mistakes.)

A nanny has no supervision while she works and is responsible for a non-verbal child.

I agree with this. A truck driver has to disclose this. A nanny should too. Doctors and nurses? They should as well.

Which medication should I be required to disclose to my employers who are NOT subject to the same employment laws a company might be? Should I have to tell them I take the pill and risk being fired because they disagree with birth control? That I take a single muscle relaxant before bed 4 nights a week? This argument is total bullshit and you know it.

[Anonymous]

Only a stupid person would apply for a job and needlessly jeopardize her chances of employment. If she needs any kind of medical treatment, she's better off not getting a diagnosis or treatment.
Do tell, how smart is that? You're screwed either way.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are other jobs where someone needs to disclose if they are on medication. Pilots, machine operators, military, positions requiring clearance etc. Just because it isn't required for an RN doesn't mean it isn't required for other positions. (Frankly, the medical community is one of the worst groups at self regulation and guarding against mistakes.)

A nanny has no supervision while she works and is responsible for a non-verbal child.

I agree with this. A truck driver has to disclose this. A nanny should too. Doctors and nurses? They should as well.

Which medication should I be required to disclose to my employers who are NOT subject to the same employment laws a company might be? Should I have to tell them I take the pill and risk being fired because they disagree with birth control? That I take a single muscle relaxant before bed 4 nights a week? This argument is total bullshit and you know it.

I don't think nannies should have to disclose their entire medical history or every medication they have been on. I'm not a nanny but I've been asked variations of the question "Do you take any medications that can impair your ability to perform x, y and z tasks." I don't think it is totally unreasonable to ask a nanny that question either. To use your example then, PP, you would not need to report the birth control and I don't think you would even need to report the muscle relaxant if you only take it at night. If you took it during the day you would have to report it but if you took it during the day you probably shouldn't be taking care of children on the days you take it.

[Anonymous]

In that case, PP, I completely agree. Everyone at any job should be prepared to answer whether or not they are on medication that might impair their ability to do their jobs. (The difficulty arises when people are perhaps less enlightened about things like anti-depressants, which would not impair anyone's ability to do their job but which many posters here have argued nannies ought to disclose.)

[Anonymous]

The questions that irk me, and I'm not sure if they are legal or not, but "you're young and newly married, when do you plan to have kids?" Not your business until it happens. And for those who will respond that my employer has a right to plan, I could die tomorrow so how about you plan for it anyway, and not try to know every detail of my personal life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been asked to disclose what medications, if any, I am currently taking and what they are prescribed for. Also, if I have ever been on Welfare, Food Stamps or Social Security?

RED flag boundary issues. They want to know what color your panties are to, but for that they'll wait until you sign a contract... maybe.

Anyone else see red?

[Anonymous]

No, I don't see red. It's pretty simple. If you don't like the interview questions, you probably don't want to work for the family. Just move on.