Is it legal for a job to ask me what dates I started and graduated from college?
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Is it legal for a job to ask me what dates I started and graduated from college?
I did graduate and I graduated from a prestigious university, but I don’t want the employer to know my age. They can pretty much guess your age if they know the year you started and finished college.
Asked on September 10, 2017 under Employment Labor Law, Minnesota
Answers:
SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 7 years ago | Contributor
It is illegal to discriminate against an employee or prospective employee, such as by not hiring him or her, or firing him or her, because he or she is age 40 or over. If you are 40 or older and do not get the job or get fired because of your age (e.g. there is no other reasonable explanation or grounds for the action), you may have an employment discrimination claim and may be entitled to compensation. If you feel you have suffered such age-related employment discrimination, contract the EEOC.
Note though that what is illegal is discriminating against you because you are over 40; it is not illegal to simply ask you about your age (either directly or indirectly); and it is also not illegal to take action based on your age if you are less than 40 (i.e. the legal protection only kicks in once you hit 40).
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