Are employers allowed to ask job applicants questions about their marital status?

In Utah, employers are not allowed to ask job applicants questions about their marital status. This is considered a form of employment discrimination and is illegal under state and federal law. Utah is one of the states that has adopted the federal protections provided by Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employers from discriminating in hiring based on factors such as sex, race, color, national origin, religion, and marital status. The United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) enforces the Title VII law that protects against employment discrimination. Employers must comply with this law if they have fifteen or more employees in the company and are not exempt from federal laws. However, even if an employer has fewer than fifteen employees, they are still prohibited by state law from discriminating against job applicants based on marital status. It is important to note that employers can ask job applicants about their family structure, such as how many children they have, as long as it does not directly ask about the applicant’s marital status. Employers also can’t use the information obtained from a job applicant’s response to discriminate against them in making the hiring decision. In Utah, employers are not allowed to ask job applicants questions about their marital status. This type of discrimination is illegal and can lead to legal action if the employer is found to be in violation of the law. If an employer does ask an applicant about their marital status, the applicant should contact the EEOC to file a complaint.

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