Return to Answer

We actually had an extended discussion on what legal advice is:

Legal advice is asking a question that needs an answer by a lawyer, not a HR manager or career guidance counselor.

However, in the specific case of this question, I don't think that's the main issue. Even if the answer was clearly given in regards to the legality/illegality, it won't solve the issue. This person has clearly been asked about religion during interviews, and whether it is legal or not doesn't much matter if it's being asked anyway. Some far better ways the question could be phrased would be:

• "What are the consequences for refusing to answer a question about religious affiliation during an interview in the UK?"
• "When is the best time to bring up special religious requirements when applying for work in the UK?"

These sorts of questions may have a legal component involved (if it is illegal, that would certainly help answer the first question), but at their heart they are asking how to navigate the actual problem.

A lot of "legal" questions that I read seem to amount to someone trying to find a way to punish activity they don't like/find distasteful. Here are some examples:

• Do I have any legal recourse regarding a verbal job offer?
• Is it legal to discriminate against smokers?
• Is it legal for employers to install keyloggers on work pcs?
• Is it legal to refuse to hire based on where I currently work?
• Can I take legal action against an employer who makes me do his kids' homework?

What a lot of these questions share is that responding to the legal component rarely actually solves the underlying problem. I think that the question you are asking about suffers from the same issue.

On the other hand, if it were a question from the other side of the table, I think it would be fair game. For instance:

Is it illegal to discriminate on the basis of special religious requirements in the UK?

We are putting out ads for Position X in Location Y in the UK. There are many people of religion Z in the area who require special religious considerations which limit their ability to work the hours expected by our owner. Under what circumstances are we allowed to legally discriminate, and how do we best address this legally during the interview process?

We actually had an extended discussion on what legal advice is:

Legal advice is asking a question that needs an answer by a lawyer, not a HR manager or career guidance counselor.

However, in the specific case of this question, I don't think that's the main issue. Even if the answer was clearly given in regards to the legality/illegality, it won't solve the issue. This person has clearly been asked about religion during interviews, and whether it is legal or not doesn't much matter if it's being asked anyway. Some far better ways the question could be phrased would be:

• "What are the consequences for refusing to answer a question about religious affiliation during an interview in the UK?"
• "When is the best time to bring up special religious requirements when applying for work in the UK?"

These sorts of questions may have a legal component involved (if it is illegal, that would certainly help answer the first question), but at their heart they are asking how to navigate the actual problem.

A lot of "legal" questions that I read seem to amount to someone trying to find a way to punish activity they don't like/find distasteful. Here are some examples:

• Do I have any legal recourse regarding a verbal job offer?
• Is it legal to discriminate against smokers?
• Is it legal for employers to install keyloggers on work pcs?
• Is it legal to refuse to hire based on where I currently work?
• Can I take legal action against an employer who makes me do his kids' homework?

What a lot of these questions share is that responding to the legal component rarely actually solves the underlying problem. I think that the question you are asking about suffers from the same issue.

On the other hand, if it were a question from the other side of the table, I think it would be fair game. For instance:

Is it illegal to discriminate on the basis of special religious requirements in the UK?

We are putting out ads for Position X in Location Y in the UK. There are many people of religion Z in the area who require special religious considerations which limit their ability to work the hours expected by our owner. Under what circumstances are we allowed to legally discriminate, and how do we best address this legally during the interview process?

We actually had an extended discussion on what legal advice is:

Legal advice is asking a question that needs an answer by a lawyer, not a HR manager or career guidance counselor.

However, in the specific case of this question, I don't think that's the main issue. Even if the answer was clearly given in regards to the legality/illegality, it won't solve the issue. This person has clearly been asked about religion during interviews, and whether it is legal or not doesn't much matter if it's being asked anyway. Some far better ways the question could be phrased would be:

• "What are the consequences for refusing to answer a question about religious affiliation during an interview in the UK?"
• "When is the best time to bring up special religious requirements when applying for work in the UK?"

These sorts of questions may have a legal component involved (if it is illegal, that would certainly help answer the first question), but at their heart they are asking how to navigate the actual problem.

A lot of "legal" questions that I read seem to amount to someone trying to find a way to punish activity they don't like/find distasteful. Here are some examples:

• Do I have any legal recourse regarding a verbal job offer?
• Is it legal to discriminate against smokers?
• Is it legal for employers to install keyloggers on work pcs?
• Is it legal to refuse to hire based on where I currently work?
• Can I take legal action against an employer who makes me do his kids' homework?

What a lot of these questions share is that responding to the legal component rarely actually solves the underlying problem. I think that the question you are asking about suffers from the same issue.

On the other hand, if it were a question from the other side of the table, I think it would be fair game. For instance:

Is it illegal to discriminate on the basis of special religious requirements in the UK?

We are putting out ads for Position X in Location Y in the UK. There are many people of religion Z in the area who require special religious considerations which limit their ability to work the hours expected by our owner. Under what circumstances are we allowed to legally discriminate, and how do we best address this legally during the interview process?

We actually had an extended discussion on what legal advice is:

Legal advice is asking a question that needs an answer by a lawyer, not a HR manager or career guidance counselor.

However, in the specific case of this question, I don't think that's the main issue. Even if the answer was clearly given in regards to the legality/illegality, it won't solve the issue. This person has clearly been asked about religion during interviews, and whether it is legal or not doesn't much matter if it's being asked anyway. Some far better ways the question could be phrased would be:

• "What are the consequences for refusing to answer a question about religious affiliation during an interview in the UK?"
• "When is the best time to bring up special religious requirements when applying for work in the UK?"

These sorts of questions may have a legal component involved (if it is illegal, that would certainly help answer the first question), but at their heart they are asking how to navigate the actual problem.

A lot of "legal" questions that I read seem to amount to someone trying to find a way to punish activity they don't like/find distasteful. Here are some examples:

• Do I have any legal recourse regarding a verbal job offer?
• Is it legal to discriminate against smokers?
• Is it legal for employers to install keyloggers on work pcs?
• Is it legal to refuse to hire based on where I currently work?
• Can I take legal action against an employer who makes me do his kids' homework?

What a lot of these questions share is that responding to the legal component rarely actually solves the underlying problem. I think that the question you are asking about suffers from the same issue.

On the other hand, if it were a question from the other side of the table, I think it would be fair game. For instance:

Is it illegal to discriminate on the basis of special religious requirements in the UK?

We are putting out ads for Position X in Location Y in the UK. There are many people of religion Z in the area who require special religious considerations which limit their ability to work the hours expected by our owner. Under what circumstances are we allowed to legally discriminate, and how do we best address this legally during the interview process?