Total stranger asked me personal questions

[ann3111]

I’m a temp, was talking to this woman today who I have never met and within minutes she asked me how much they pay me a day, how old I am and where I worked before I became a temp.

I didn’t answer the questions and kind of dodged them. She continued to guess my age and said a number that is 5 years older than my actual age. I felt she was really strange till another temp came to join us whom I do know and very happily told her where she’s worked before and her age. She didn’t get asked her daily rate. Was this weird or would you happily share this with a complete stranger? I won’t see her again as job is finished.

What's your daily rate?
Not enough. What's yours?

I don't think there's anything wrong with what she asked. I can though appreciate not wanting to answer the question in respect of personal info like age but really don't get this hang up about not sharing salaries.

In fact actually I find it absolutely baffling not sharing salaries. It literally allows employers to be discriminatory, it's actually facilitating them doing so.

I got asked if I was married, if I had kids and my qualification status all within about 30 minutes of going to a nursery. I did feel uncomfortable to be honest so I wouldn't say your feelings are unusual on this x

Well, she's daft, isn't she? If guessing someone's age comes up in conversation, you always subtract 10 years from your estimate. She should have said 40. (There's no way even a much younger person would mistake a 45 year old for 60, so it's obvious she hadn't subtracted 10)

Unless it's a child, when adding years never comes amiss.

100% agree.
I'm really surprised by all the posters saying this is a normal question.

The age and pay questions are a bit much. I don’t see a problem with the question about your previous job. When I’ve started new roles in the past, virtually every new person has, at some point, asked me who I worked for previously. It’s just small talk.