Sexual orientation on Job application?

That -is- a very odd question to have on a job application, and you certainly do not have to fill it out - likewise for your religion and race/ethnicity. Those questions in particular you have every right to put "Prefer Not to Answer" or "N/A" or just leave blank (though doing so invites them to ask you face-to-face).

None of those things have any bearing on whether you are qualified for a job unless the place of work is specialised towards a particular religious group, or is LGBT, and even then they really don't have any grounds to "demand" an answer.

 

It is a rather unnecessary and possibly invasive question, but I would definitely answer truthfully. Legally, it should have no bearing on whether you are hired, but in the case that employees at the company were homophobic and abused that information, it would be far better to be spared from struggling in a bigoted environment.

 

That is BS! None of those questions should be on the application. Unfortunately, I am not out to anyone at work. The last daycare I worked at (private and at a church) a lady got fired there. And my boss told me that the board fired her for a bs reason, but the real reason was cause she was a lesbian. And she was one of the best teachers there! I now work in another similar environment, and I wouldn't want to be fired for my orientation. which is illegal but can be gotten around by firing for a fake bs reason... It's sad. But your race, religion, or orientation should really have NO bearing on whether or not you get hired. It's crazy!

 

So your location says England, and a quick Google search brought up this site: Sexual orientation discrimination | nidirect

With this particular passage "Some employers ask for details of the sexual orientation of employees - either for monitoring purposes or as part of an equal opportunities questionnaire. You don't have to give this information."

This Site is about Northern Ireland but I would assume the British government maintains an employer non discrimination act on a federal level, so I would think the rules would be roughly the same anywhere in Britain. Hopefully this helps

 

What the hell ? why would they ask that it's not of their damn business .
I always wondered if some jobs were doing this .

 

It's concerning that you will be asked such question as part of the recruitment process. In fact, I would think that in many countries - England included - this is not legal?! During recruitment, the company might inform you that they are a LGBT friendly place or that they monitor staff diversity, but this in no way should place any obligation on your part to disclose sexual orientation prior to or after recruitment.

 

Wow, I don't know about England but in the U.S. the race question is always illegal and the religion question is illegal unless you are applying at a church or church organization. That said there is usually a government form at the back of the application that allows you to voluntarily fill out that information that the employer isn't supposed to look at (yea right).

I have never seen "sexual orientation" on an application before, and with them already adding it to the non-discrimination list for government jobs, it's likely that it will be included in the general non-discrimination laws within the next few years so I never will.

 

I'm not totally sure, but I'm fairly certain that businesses of a certain size will sometimes be required to prove that they aren't anti-any certain person [race, religion, ect] so they mark whatever it is on the application. Like I said, it's something I've heard through the grapevine, but that may be why? If you're not comfortable answering it, don't. I don't think they can actually ask you in an interview.

 

I just recently as in the last 5 months ago applied for my job again and I don't recall seeing that question on there.. I know it doesn't matter to my employers anyway cause they are a state government organization and are into workplace equality... My immediate supervisor is gay and they have no issues with him what so ever. If it's a question because they don't want to employ gay people.. Then that is just wrong.

 

**Need to point this out here:

This question is included in a lot of job application forms across the UK, and exists as part of the 'Equal Opportunities' subsection. Most of the time these questions (inc. race, religion, disabilities, orientation etc.) are OPTIONAL. It may be listed in the fine print, but they are often non-mandatory.

I agree, the question seems offensive in the context of applying for a job, and I have challenged people when I have been asked questions like that in the past if they are deemed irrelevant to the subject matter (i.e. work). Again, I say, they are often optional or there might be a 'prefer not to say' box. You should not - under any circumstances - be pressed to give irrelevant information about yourself that you feel uncomfortable disclosing.

 

I agree that's a weird question to put on a job application. I had never seen anything like that myself. I would consider it an invasion of privacy. They might as well ask "are you a virgin". Wonder how many people would answer that honestly. I would leave it blank.

 

I don't know the employment laws in the UK, however, they do not appear appropriate, and are possibly illegal. No employer should have the right to ask these questions of potential employees, they have no bearing on the necessary qualifications.

I strongly suspect there is a clause somewhere in the application that states these questions can be answered voluntarily.

I would not answer anything that is unrelated to the job, voluntarily or ortherwise.

 

I have no idea why any job would need to know that unless you're a sex worker, and even then most people do sex work not related to orientation. It sounds completely invasive

 

Sorry to ask this but... Did your mom actually wait for you to tell her what to write down in the "sexual orientation" field?! Forget the "job" application, didn't that strike you as odd?

 

your mom sounds hilarious, those are all questions they wont ask

unless ur like applying for the cia or somethin

---------- Post added 25th Sep 2014 at 11:08 AM ----------

unless it is an equal opp thing yeah but usually that is to check race

 

i think its to do with equality.

there should be an option for prefer not to answer, thats what i ticked. and always do if anything has it on it. no one has a right to know on a job application, its a voluntary thing. if youre comfortable with it do it, but no biggie if not. just put n/a or prefer not to answer.

 

crazy, was there a "no answer" option? was it a pastor position lol

 

Have y'all ever seen the movie Stripes? Couple of slackers join the Army. This is the 80s, and the recruiter asks them, are either of you Homosexual?
Bill Murray:" You mean, like, flaming?"
Recruiter:"It's just a question we have to ask."
Bill Murray:" No, but we are willing to learn. Do you have a special school for that?"



Sowwy, it just struck me funny all of a sudden. :lol: