to wonder if they can ask for marital status/children on job application

[fridgeraiders]

form?

I have just downloaded a job application form which asks for marital status and children (with age and genders). Is this legal? It's kind of relevant in a way as it is for a post in a school but still, thought this was no longer allowed?

Its a non-teaching post in an independent if relevant.

thanks for your thoughts.

Surely under GDPR they should have thought through their purpose for asking anything like this quite apart from equality issues.

As I understand it, they can ask for any information they like, but they can’t then decide whether or not to employ you based on the answers you give about protected characteristics; otherwise they leave themselves open to claims of discrimination. So any employer with any nouse will not ask the questions in the first place - then there’s no chance they are, or could be seen to be, discriminating.

Of course, you could decide not to offer that information, on the grounds it’s not relevant to your application, and that also ensures they can’t discriminate. Where is their HR department in all this?

It might be in case they can offer your children a place? But generally, hell no.

I would just write " not applicable "

From the Gov UK website

thanks sparklesocks seems pretty clear!

I don't think they have an HR dept as quite small.

I tried filling in a form the other day which gave me the choice of civil partnership, married, separated, divorced, widowed, single. None of those suit me. I live with my partner. I left it blank.

Are you sure there is no housing provided to staff? It may be a standardised form which is also given to prospective matrons/house masters/other staff offered lodgings.

Defo no housing, I guess it could be standardised (benefit of doubt)

If you still want to apply, then answer with "not applicable" or "not relevant" to any such question.

Personally I wouldn't apply unless desperate as this is a pretty clear warning of what kind of employer they are.