The following information is sometimes requested on standard employment applications, though candidates might consider some of it to be private or personal.
• A job applicant’s social security number
• An applicant’s arrest record
• An employee’s medical records
• An employee’s marital status
• Whether a job applicant smokes
• An employee’s political affiliation
• An employee’s sexual orientation
• An employee’s credit rating
1. Which of the following items about an employee might an employer have a legitimate claim to know, and why?
2. What facts are relevant to your decision?