Job interview: Pregnancy, family planning, criminal record – you can lie here

Created: 10/21/2022, 4:00 p.m

By: Nina Büchs

In an interview, the employer asks many questions – but some are not allowed, such as the question about family planning.

An interview often causes anxiety and stress among applicants.

Because it's about convincing the employer in just a few minutes.

Questions such as "why did you apply for the job?" are common in interviews, and applicants can prepare for them in advance.

But other questions come as a surprise – we are talking about inadmissible questions.

Applicants do not have to answer truthfully.

An overview of which questions you can lie about in a job interview.

Job interview: Inadmissible questions - you can lie here

Questions about pregnancy, family planning or party affiliation are not permitted according to the law firm AfA (employment law for employees).

The applicant does not have to answer these questions or answer them truthfully.

The applicant does not face any legal consequences if he or she lies on these questions.

According to AfA, these questions are inadmissible:

• pregnancy

• family planning

• Religious affiliation (exception: tending companies)

• Party affiliation (exception: tending companies)

• Union membership (exception: tending companies)

• Wage garnishments

• sexual orientation

• Membership in associations and clubs

• severe disability

• criminal record

Not all interview questions require an answer—sometimes lying is also allowed.

(Iconic image) © IMAGO/Eugenio Marongiu

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Job interview: Asking about pregnancy is not permitted – applicant does not have to answer

“In particular, the question of pregnancy is not permitted in a job interview.

The applicant does not need to answer this question," the law firm AfA announced.

Alternatively, the applicant can also lie when asked this question.

The same applies to the question of family planning.

So if applicants are asked whether they are planning children in the next few years, the same applies here: lying or silence is allowed.

Also read:

State your salary expectations when applying - this is how it works and job interviews: typical questions, tips and no-gos

Ten things that will immediately disqualify you in a job interview

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Job interview: Inadmissible questions – there are these exceptions

Two thirds of Germans are afraid of applications - especially of the job interview

A representative survey published in 2021 by the online career

in cooperation with

showed that a good

due to at least one aspect

.

The number one fear trigger is the job interview – this was stated by 35 percent of those surveyed.

Another factor: fear of changes associated with changing jobs.

2,057 adult Germans were surveyed.

Depending on where or for which position the applicant is applying, there are also exceptions to questions that are actually considered inadmissible.

This is the case if the employer has a legitimate interest in answering the question.

An example: If someone applies for a job in the Catholic Church, the employer is permitted to ask about the religious affiliation of the applicant.

Among other things, questions about garnishment of wages are also permitted if the applicant has to do with money transactions for the advertised position or is to be given an account authorization with power of disposal.

In general, the question of previous convictions is inadmissible – but there are exceptions here too.

Applicants who have applied as truck drivers, for example, must