Prohibited

An employer can't actually legally ask you about your arrest record, but they can ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime.

Depending on the state, a conviction record shouldn't automatically disqualify you for employment unless it substantially relates to your job. For example, if you've been convicted of statutory rape and you're applying for a teaching position, you will probably not get the job.

Although the interviewer may ask you this question to see how much time you'd be able to commit to your job, it's illegal because it reveals your marital status and can also reveal your sexual orientation.

Employers cannot ask about your drinking habits because it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

For example, if you're a recovering alcoholic, treatment of alcoholism is protected under this act and you don't have to disclose any disability information before landing an official job offer.

It's illegal for employers to ask you about past drug addiction, but they can ask you if you're currently using illegal drugs.

A person who is currently using drugs is not protected under ADA.

Employers have to have permission before asking about your credit history. Similar to a criminal background history, they can't disqualify you from employment unless it directly affects your ability to perform the position you're interviewing for.

Furthermore, they can't ask you how well you balance your personal finances or inquire about you owning property.

If you have an accent, this may seem like an innocent question, but keep in mind that it's illegal because it involves your national origin.

Employers can't legally inquire about your nationality, but they can ask if you're authorized to work in a certain country.

It is unlawful to deny someone employment if they have children or if they are planning on having children in the future.

It's not the employers lawful right to know if a language is your first language or not.

In order to find out language proficiency, employers can ask you what other languages you read, speak, or write fluently.

Employers may want to ask you this to see if your lifestyle interferes with work schedules, but this question reveals your religion and that's illegal.

They can ask you if you're available to work on Sundays.

Questions such as "Is English your native language?, "Are you a U.S. Citizen?", "Were your parents born in the U.S.?, "What race do you identify yourself as?" are illegal for a person to be asked during an employment interview. Faced with questions such as these, you can refuse to answer, stating simply, This (these) questions do not affect my ability to perform the job."

This is not appropriate for the interviewer to ask you, but they can ask what type of education, training, or work experience you've received while in the military.

A prospective employer cannot ask about your financial status or credit rating during the course of an interview. There are limited exceptions to this, if you are applying for certain financial and banking positions. In addition, employers can check the credit of job applicants, with the candidate's permission.

his question allows employers to guess your age which is unlawful. Similarly, they can't ask you what year you graduated from high school or college or even your birthday.

However, they can ask you how long you've been working in a certain industry.

Don't make the mistake of assuming that a candidate has children or that they don't already have proper child care plans. As with many other questions, the key here is to ask directly about availability.

This question, like many others, may seem innocent and simple, but it's off-limits. A woman's marital status isn't something that's required to be shared with employers. Instead, verify whether or not she's gained experience using any other names.

While it seems like a simple question, it's in fact quite loaded. Knowledge of an applicant's age can set you up for discrimination troubles down the road. To be safe, just ensure that the candidate is legally old enough to work for your firm.

This question is too revealing of political and religious affiliations that candidates are not required to share such information with potential employers. Additionally, this questions has little to no relation to a candidate's ability to do a job. For this question, it's important that the wording focuses on work.

Familiarity with local culture may be important to the position, but it's important not to ask about a candidate's residency in the country or region directly. Rather, ask about their current situation, and they may volunteer information about their past along the way.

Maturity is essential for most positions, but it's important that you don't make assumptions about a candidate's maturity based on age. Alternately, you have to be careful about discrimination towards applicants nearing retirement.

Certainly, you want to be sure that a candidate can legally work for you, but it's important to be careful how you ask. These questions address citizenship, language and other touchy subjects.