About 30.2 percent of new college graduates searching for work have been victims of sexual harassment — both verbally and physically — during job interviews, a poll by the online job bank yes123 showed.
The poll showed 31.8 percent of respondents said they were asked if they had any “unmentionable diseases” or “experienced pain during their periods,” and another 27.3 percent said the interviewees made inappropriately lewd jokes.
Another 25.2 percent of respondents said they were asked about their sexual orientation during the interview process, while 23.9 percent said interviewers asked about their measurements, height or weight, the poll showed.
Photo courtesy of Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ma Wen-chun
A total of 21.8 percent of respondents said interviewers had put their hands on their shoulders, 20.5 percent said interviewers had touched or tried to hold heir hands, 18.4 percent said that interviewers caressed their backs, and 9.4 percent said interviewers groped their buttocks, the poll showed.
According to the poll, 16.3 percent of respondents said interviewers had asked that they join them to share meals or have drinks, and 10.5 percent said they were asked to go on trips with the interviewers.
The poll showed 87.7 percent of jobseekers said they were asked private questions, with 60.3 percent being asked about their relationship status; 51.6 percent were asked about their hobbies and interests; 43.4 percent were asked about their plans for marriage or having children; 28.9 percent were asked about their zodiacal signs or their blood type; and 26.7 percent were asked about their emotional or physical states.
A total of 31.4 percent of respondents said they experienced verbal discrimination during the interview, with 38.1 percent saying interviewers were verbally disparaging of their alma mater; 35.1 percent were discriminated against because of their major, 32.1 percent said interviewers verbally discriminated against their looks and appearance; 29,8 percent said interviewers disparaged them for their body figure; and 26.3 percent said the interviewees were verbally discriminatory because of their gender.
Yes123 spokesman Yang Tsung-pin (楊宗斌) on Friday said that these acts from corporations fall under employment discrimination, adding that interviewees should immediately express their dissatisfaction or refuse outrageous requests.
Should the company persist with such requests, the individuals should file a complaint with their local bureau of labor, he said.
Yang suggested that interviewees either refuse to answer tactfully or ask that the interviewer clearly state the relevance of such questions to the job they are being interviewed for.
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