A woman in Northern Ireland has received 4,000 pounds (Rs 3.7 lakh approximately) as compensation after she was asked her age in a Domino’s Pizza job interview.
Janice Walsh believes she was turned down for the role of a delivery driver because of her age and sex, reports BBC. She claims that the interviewer at the Domino’s Pizza branch in Strabane, County Tyrone, asked her how old she was at the beginning of her interview.
She noticed that the interviewer wrote down her answer, encircled it and then commented: “You don’t look it.”
When she learned her job application had been rejected, Walsh immediately thought of the moment when she was asked her age in the interview.
“I immediately thought back to the interview and the question about my age. I believe my age was an issue and it had affected the decision made by the interview panel,” she was quoted as saying by Ladbible.
She then messaged the branch on Facebook, saying she believed she had been discriminated against because of her age. A member of the interview panel contacted Walsh and apologised to her, explaining they did not know it was inappropriate to ask about one’s age in a job interview.
Later, in another conversation with an employee of the same Domino’s branch, Walsh was told that the work would be more suitable for people aged between 18 to 30.
Walsh believes her sex also played a part in why she was unsuccessful in her job application. “I've only ever seen men working as drivers and I think I was overlooked for a driver position because I am a woman,” she said.
“Domino's continued to advertise for drivers after the interviews had taken place.”
Walsh took out a discrimination suit against the Domino’s branch and its owner Justin Quirk, and the Equality Commission for Northern Ireland supported her case. Quirk has since apologised and paid 4,250 pounds as compensation to Walsh.
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