Question

Are the questions being asked on the application legal? Explain why or why not? Provide evidence to back up your response.

a) Yes, the questions are legal because they pertain to personal information required for the application.
b) No, the questions are not legal because they ask for the applicant's religion, which could be considered discriminatory.
c) Yes, the questions are legal as they are standard demographic information gathering.
d) No, the questions are not legal as they request the applicant's Social Security number, posing a risk to identity theft.

Answer 1

The question concerns the legality of job application questions under anti-discrimination laws. Asking for an applicant's religion is illegal due to potential discrimination; hence the correct answer is (b).

Step-by-step explanation:

In determining whether the questions being asked on a job application are legal, it's important to consider the anti-discrimination laws that prohibit employers from asking certain personal questions. The Civil Rights Act of 1964, for instance, makes it illegal to discriminate based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. In the specific example of questions pertaining to an applicant's religion, such inquiries are indeed illegal because they can lead to discriminatory hiring practices. Employers may require a Social Security number for background checks after making a job offer, but they should handle this information with care to mitigate the risk of identity theft.

Considering this, the correct answer to the question would be (b), as the questions are not legal because they ask for the applicant's religion, which could be considered discriminatory.