Editor:
Regarding Elizabeth Rains’ March 2 column about companies that ask for birth dates, I’d like to point out that “just say no” is a luxury some people can’t afford. Years ago I applied for a job at a local retail company. The manager handed me a form and said, “Fill it out, in its entirety.” This, to me, was an indication that an incomplete form would end up in the round file. And yes, there was a question about age.
I called the government human rights people and asked if it was legal for prospective employers to ask this. I was told that yes, they can ask that question, but you don’t have to answer it. This was not much help when I’d been given no choice but to fill out the application form “in its entirety.”
Another time, I applied at a local fast food business. One of the questions on the form was, “Do you have any physical defects?” This struck me as both ambiguous and offensive. Facetiously, I filled it out with the words, “No, physically, I am perfect!” (I didn’t get the job, which was probably just as well.)
Human rights seem to belong only to those in society who have the power to enforce them.
I understand that, due to housing unaffordability in our community, there is now a shortage of applicants for jobs. I hope this has caused employers to cultivate a more sensitive attitude to job seekers.
Anne Miles, Gibsons
