{"id":357749,"date":"2022-08-31T10:20:45","date_gmt":"2022-08-31T15:20:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.findlaw-admin.com\/ability-law\/employment\/hiring-process\/can-i-sue-for-illegal-interview-questions.html"},"modified":"2025-04-16T16:00:17","modified_gmt":"2025-04-16T21:00:17","slug":"can-i-sue-for-illegal-interview-questions","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.findlaw.com\/employment\/hiring-process\/can-i-sue-for-illegal-interview-questions.html","title":{"rendered":"Can I Sue for Illegal Interview Questions?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Can You Sue for Illegal Interview Questions?<\/h1>\n
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\n By Steven Ellison, Esq.<\/a> | Legally reviewed by Laura Temme, Esq.<\/a>\n | Last updated\n
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This article has been written and reviewed for legal accuracy, clarity, and style by FindLaw\u2019s team of legal writers and attorneys<\/a> and in accordance with our editorial standards<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n\n

\n \n <\/i>\n Fact-Checked\n <\/summary>\n\n
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The last updated date refers to the last time this article was reviewed by FindLaw or one of our contributing authors<\/a>. We make every effort to keep our articles updated. For information regarding a specific legal issue affecting you, please contact an attorney in your area<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n <\/details>\n<\/section>\n

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Yes. If you were asked illegal questions during a job interview and subsequently did not land the job, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit. State laws and federal laws strictly prohibit discriminatory practices during the hiring process, particularly if such acts constitute discrimination based on age, race, gender, religion, pregnancy, marital status, or disability.<\/p>\n\n <\/div>\n\n

If an employer asks you questions about any of these categories during an interview and it influences their hiring decision, it could indicate that they unfairly discriminated against you.<\/p>\r\n

Proving discrimination as a job candidate can be a complicated process. Prospective employers may justify their hiring decisions with legitimate grounds unrelated to discrimination. For help determining how anti-discrimination laws might apply to your situation, consider reaching out to an employment attorney in your area<\/a>. <\/p>\r\n

This article explains what it means for an interview question to be illegal and the potential course of action if you were asked illegal questions during a job interview.<\/p>\r\n

What Does An \u201cIllegal Interview Question" Mean?<\/h2>\r\n

Illegal interview questions are questions asked during a hiring process that seek details unrelated to the candidate’s ability to fulfill the duties required by the position. Employers might use these types of questions to discriminate<\/a> against job applicants.<\/span> <\/p>\r\n

Illegal interview questions often focus on one’s characteristics, including age, religion, race, gender, marital status, disability, or national origin.<\/p>\r\n

Federal Anti-Discrimination Laws<\/h2>\r\n

Many forms of discrimination<\/a> are illegal under federal, state, and local laws. Because state and local laws vary, we will focus on federal law.<\/p>\r\n

Federal employment law<\/a> creates separate categories based on specific characteristics (known as \u201cprotected categories" or, more commonly, \u201cprotected classes"). These laws include:<\/p>\r\n