19 Employee Rights During the Interview

While preparing for questions that might come up during a job interview, it is also important for students to think about how they might respond to inappropriate questions that a prospective employer might ask during a job interview. For example, under the PEI Human Rights Act it is inappropriate for an employer to ask questions on several grounds that could be discriminatory, including a candidate’s age, race, religion, sexual orientation, mental or physical health (PEI HRC, 2016). Applicants do not have to answer questions that ask for specific information on such topics.^[1]

If such questions come up during the application process, the student can simply write “not applicable” on the form; otherwise they should politely and tactfully tell the interviewer that the question is inappropriate. It is possible that they can address the underlying concern that prompted the question (e.g., concerns about attendance, reliability, commitment, fit within organization, etc.) by re-framing the question and speaking about their positive qualities, such as strong work ethic, excellent attendance record, or desire to succeed in an organization, for example (ALIS, 2016c).