Going Too Far?

There was a news item on BBC breakfast –  but I can’t find it online anywhere –  about BA asking previous employers about new recruits’ children. Apparently; how many, how much childcare time they took and whether they had any disabled children. They do this, it seems, when they seek references.

I have mixed views on this one. On the one hand, it is not illegal. There is no evidence that there is discrimination going on. They say that they need to understand the needs of the new recruit and the replies from erstwhile employers will play no part in the final decision. Why ask, then? The only reason I can see for asking is to avoid taking on someone who is likely to be a liability.

Okay, I can understand why they would want to know. The sensible thing would be to ask the prospective employee at the interview, but in so doing they are laying themselves open to charges of discrimination. I suspect this is why they are taking the sneaky approach. If I was asked such a question, I would avoid answering it as I regard my home life as being none of my employer’s business. I would skirt it by stating that all they need to know is whether I am able to meet my work commitments. Either I can, or I cannot. If I cannot, this is why. If I can, then how many children and whether they are disabled remains a private matter.

This scheme is likely to fall down for another reason –  it’s not uncommon for employers simply to not give out that level of detail when asked for references. What they do is acknowledge that the person worked for them for a given period of time, making no comment either positive or negative about the person’s performance, thereby avoiding any awkwardness should they give a bad reference to a good employee or a good one for a bad employee.

In general, my gut felling is that BA is crossing the boundary between the professional and the private –  something that employers seem to like doing if they can get away with it and will push further if allowed. My own approach has always been to rigorously police the wall between my professional life and my private one. Any crossover is strictly on my terms and minimal. I tend to avoid discussion at work about my private affairs and intend to keep it that way. I don’t suppose I’ll be getting any offers from BA in the near future…

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Update: Story now here. And, having watched it again, I picked up some stuff I missed first time around. They want to know how much childcare leave is outstanding as it is transferable. In which case, fair enough –  ask after the person has been appointed.