Forum Moderators: LifeinAsia
In the first email, they told him how important it was for them to work with someone of similar Christian persuasion. He answered in good faith, believing them that this was "only a formality".
Then a second email came. Here are the questions they asked:
Now I'm stumped. How to respond? In retrospect, it was probably a mistake to answer the first request.
This however would have you investigated by the Human Rights commission if you asked it of a potential employee. Do different rules apply for contractors? It's even worse because we are in Canada and they are in the US.
What would you do?
It's their money, so they have the right to ask you anything they want, be it your favorite color or your grandmother's sexual habits. You can always refuse. If I were interviewing for a job, similarly, I might ask what the company CEO's position on abortion was. They don't have to answer.
Do you discriminate by race, sex, or creed?
Funny they left "religion" out of that one.
>>What would you do?
Tell him I'm an atheist and run like hell.
Q. Have you ever been arrested? If yes, were you convicted?
A. Yes.
Q. Do you discriminate by race, sex, or creed?
A. All of the above.
Q. Have you ever been fired from a previous job?
A. All of them.
Q. Have you ever thought about or engaged in any sort of sodomy?
A. Only with other inmates. (prison can be a lonely place)
Q. How do people generally describe your temperament?
A. It doesn't matter. Anyone that has a problem with me can kiss my a**!
Q. Do you work well with others?
A. Yes.
---------------------------
Sorry, I couldn't resist.
If this job will pay you a lot of money, tell them what they want to hear.
Otherwise, I would tell them that I'm not interested in working for lunatics.
Do you know them? Have they ever been arrested or convicted? Are they into sodomy?
Jeeeeeeeze ... blow them off and you needn't be polite. They certainly weren't!
Have you ever been arrested? If yes, were you convicted?
Do you discriminate by race, sex, or creed?
Have you ever been fired from a previous job?
Have you ever thought about or engaged in any sort of sodomy?
How do people generally describe your temperament?
Do you work well with others?
What would you do?
Find another client. The answers to those questions are no one's business, and (aside from the last two) should have no bearing on your ability to serve a client's needs.
But ... if you don't want to turn these people away entirely, you could reply to those last two since they are reasonable questions -- just give them the names of a couple past clients who can attest to your temperament and ability to get along with others.
As for the others, I would make it perfectly clear that you respect their interest in doing business, but it's none of their business.
<<edit: Wow, look at the insta-flood of replies!>>
I've seen much more bizarre questions. IIRC Los Angeles County now requires you to indicate whether your company or any of its predecessors might have done business with slave owners, or financed/conducted/supported slavery or the slave trade. Then again, this may be a valid question because the County needs to protect itself against possible future liability.
If you don't want the business then forward it to human rights and move on to the next.
If you don't want the business then forward it to human rights and move on to the next.
Here's what he responded:
Mr XXXX,
If you have any questions regarding this email please contact me by phone (1-514-XXX-XXXX) or if you prefer sending me your phone number I could call you myself.
I'll have to decline answering these questions. I am a firm believer in privacy and though I am usually an open minded guy who'll open up to many people I don't do so lightly. I also feel that no potential contractors or worker should be required to answer such questions just to pay the bills.
If you still want to work together it would be my pleasure but I cannot set aside my beliefs just for a bit of money.
<added> Guess I've been liviing outside of Canada for too long. I've lost my edge on "politeness". :)
Let cut and run, and get out this thread alive while we still can. ;-)
