Applying for jobs in the UK is often a bizarre process. Their equal opportunity employment legislation seems to be quite extreme, to the point that companies will require you to fill out a survey asking some quite personal questions so that they know exactly which minority you fit into before they can employ you. One company wants to know:
- Gender (complete with a note that if you are currently undergoing 'gender reassignment' you should state your future gender, not your past gender);
- Age range;
- Sexual orientation;
- Religion;
- Nationality;
- Ethnic origin; and
- Whether you have a disability.
I would have thought that actually this sort of data would
lead to discrimination, rather than reducing it. It is all terribly PC, too; you are never asked such a simple question as, "What is your ethnic origin?" You are always asked, "What do
you consider your ethnic origin?" or "Do you consider yourself to have a disability?" Nationality and age are the only two exceptions; even gender is, "What do you consider your gender to be?" with, of course, the disclaimer regarding those undergoing 'gender reassignment.'
I am one of the unwashed majority; I am a youngish, white, Christian, non-disabled, married, heterosexual male. I hope it doesn't count against me. The way this survey is worded, I could claim to
feel like a youngish, yellow-skinned, lesbian Eskimo Rastafarian with no legs, and no-one could accuse me of lying (no-one who'd never spoken to me before, anyway). I wonder if it would help?
3 comments:
The question is, then, whether all English people have a python-esque sense of humour. They'd have to if you were to get away with that.
Central Northern Adelaide Health Service sent a survey out to employees asking most of those same questions earlier this year, and requiring us to return it completed, (although there was no caveat about "future gender") and I refused to answer that - I couldn't believe they were allowed to ask those kind of questions. But to ask BEFORE you even get an interview?!?! That seems even more extreme that the US affirmative action programs.
Sadly it doesn't seem to occur to governments that white, christian, heterosexuals are actually a minority - one that it appears to be acceptable to publically insult/ridicule and discriminate against!
Hey Tom,
Great to read a bit about what you've been up to lately!
Well, we farewelled Kylie and Eliza this morning and I can safely report that they made it into the customs area at Adelaide Airport just fine. I'm sure that's very reassuring for you!
Surprisingly I'm sure, I took many photos. Unfortunately they're all rather large in file size, so the solution may just be to post you a CD or DVD. Tim assures me you'd be quite savvy on something called a remote server (?) however since I'm not even sure what it's actually called, I fear I may not share the same expertise.
Anyway, you're all missed & I'm looking forward to reports of the TKE Cook family reunion over there.
Talk to you soon I hope!
Mel
PS Any plans for Christmas??
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