Guessing is not a strategy: How to build decision velocity with AI and real-time data
June 10, 2026 | Live Webinar
A Question of Ethics
Bob Weinstein is a journalist who covers technology, project management, the workplace and career development.
You don't have to be a labor attorney to know when a question is inappropriate. It's simple: Generally, if the question has no bearing on work performance, the interviewer is out of bounds, and is either asking an inappropriate or an illegal question.
The times change. We make better products, our technology becomes more sophisticated every year, many companies offer new benefits and work options in order to attract the best candidates. Yet job discrimination still exists. Maybe you've experienced it on job interviews. Do you know what your rights are? Find out in the following story.
Employers cannot ask you about the following:
1. Creed, religion or race. They're not permitted to ask about your religious affiliation or the holidays you observe. You can worship pagan idols or the devil; it's your right. You also can't be asked questions about your lineage, ancestry or nationality. A question like, "Dostoyevski, why that's a Russian name isn't it?" is absolutely forbidden. The same goes for race: "So you're a full-blooded Apache, are you? You look like everyone else."
2. Age. If you're 85 and fit to hold a job, you're entitled to the same consideration a 25-year-old gets. "You look about 55, am I right?" maybe a sneaky way to get you to reveal your age. It all falls under the heading of age discrimination.
3. Sex or marital status. More no-nos: "Are you …
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"Whatever does not destroy me makes me stronger." - Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche |