Junior minister John Halligan
This afternoon.
John Halligan, Independent Alliance Minister of State for Training, Skills, Innovation, Research and Development at the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation has been named as the person who asked senior female civil servant whether she was married with children during a job interview.
The Workplace Relations Commission heard Mr Halligan, enquired of the unnamed woman:
“I shouldn’t be asking you this, but…. are you a married woman? Do you have children? How old are your children.”
Following the ruling, Mr Halligan told the Irish Independent::
“I was simply trying to put the interviewee at ease….“All of my staff start at 10am because they need to get their kids to school and can finish early if they need to.”
Rollingnews
Another proud day for waterford
Yerrah, I’d say he meant nothing by it. He won’t make the same mistake again, though.
+1
Ha! I’d say he will make the same mistake again (or something equally stupid). He knew it was wrong to ask ““I shouldn’t be asking you this, but…. ” but asked anyway.
*He* isn’t paying the 30K – why should he care?
Oh, so he was aware… fair enuff.
oops, €7K.
Still too much tho
Why is it ‘too much’? Please explain.
And, to be clear, this is what is Minister material. Any sign of the Cath Scan for Waterford yet?
He did mean something by it, he said so.
He’s such an embarrassment
fair enough, but he does try….
“All of my staff start at 10am…….”
In case you were wondering what was happening to all those taxes you’re paying….
Not getting up early enough then Leo .
What time do they finish?
11
Holy poo get I get a job there? Can’t wait to roll in at 10am every day because I got kids.
You’re right its a scandal that an employer would actually make an effort to give their employees some flexibility in their work schedule….
It’s obvious he is not paying her with his own money. It’s easy to squander other people’s money and I’d say you know all about it.
Who is squandering whose money now eamonn?
(Flexi-hours being a thing like)
I don’t have kids but I can get some if it means a 10am start.
Only if you stay in school!
He meant nothing by it. Not a fan of his but get some cop on. Parasites on this site , trying to jump on every innocuous little sound bite and create an angry mob.
Getting very sick of it. Stick to proper journalism and insight.
He cost the State €30K *directly* by that one sentence. If you add all the legal, court time, witnesses, etc it’s probably well in excess of €100K. That’s a lot of VAT!
I think the rise in strict political correctness is more to blame, in fairness.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA oh mercy.
You’re indoctrinated, I would only expect such a response from you, in fairness
Indoctrinated to think it’s a actually a complete lack of professionalism that brought this about, in fairness.
You “think” so do you?
How about the rise in employment rights legislation that now makes it illegal to discriminate on grounds of gender?
You don’t “think” at all, from reading your screeds here, all you do is regurgitate alt right talking points
+1
Never attribute to malice that which is adequately explained by stupidity.
Don’t be too quick to rule out malicious stupidity.
Don’t be to quick to judge someone as being maliciously stupid, in fairness.
Dropped an ‘o’
Oops
Sorry what?
How on earth did she win 7k in damages for a simple question?
I assume that she didn’t get the job and felt she was discriminated against.
The 7k damages may be for missed earnings (e.g. if it were a better paid position).
Article didn’t seem to mention anything about her not getting the job? I did skim it though
How is it a ‘simple question’? It’s an unlawful question in that context, can’t you read the article you moron?
Can men still be asked those questions in an interview?
No.
We have reached peak Mulally.
Nah, it’ll get worse before it gets better
We have reached peak alt right troll Milo-ally
If you have to start a question with “I shouldn’t be asking this”, don’t ask it.
Yeah, pretty straightforward in fairness
What a dope.
My last employer tried to elicit the same information by asking multiple indirect questions and dancing around it in the hope that I would volunteer the information. I didn’t.
It wasn’t the only red flag that I ignored unfortunately. A waiter arrived mid- interview with his lunch and he gave him dog’s abuse because the bread on his sandwich wasn’t sufficiently toasted.
By the sound of it you must have been auditioning for a part in dumb and dumber.
Congratulations on getting the part.
LOL!
@Gringo – Oh, such wit.
The job paid well, and I figured it would fit the bill while I looked around for a more pleasant employer if he turned out to be a total bell end and not just someone having a bad day.
he is well rid by the sounds of things.
Yes, it’s great that we can all vote with our feet and take our talents elsewhere. Ask yourself why you resent that.
Nah, just thought he would be glad to be rid of a self entitled moany whinge bag. Plenty of good people available to do good work and enjoy it.
“self entitled moany whinge bag.”
Milo, Milo, Milo… do you ever stop talking about yourself.
I bet you were the waitress that ruined the poor guys toast…. and I presume you take your “talents” elsewhere quite a lot.
Poor Milo has been triggered. Boo hoo. Most likely another miserable sod learning the hard way that unless they behave like decent human beings, no one will stick around.
You wish Lilly. Milo is grand. he doesn’t sit in restaurants looking for work from a person he hates and distrusts trying to catch him out. He doesn’t go looking for insult where there is none. And I certainly don’t have an irrational hatred of a particular sex that colours how I see the world. Your posts indicate you are one of the more toxic type of feminists who define success by how much they stick it to the man. While giving you a couple of short term wins and a few likes on social media, you know internally that to define yourself by how much you defeat another is ultimately a spiralling loop of despair that leads to further feelings of worthlessness and lack of personal control. Its never too late to change.
Milo is a right little boy alright
What’s it like sitting there hating your interviewer and still taking the job? I’d hope I’d never be so fake.
hahaha ROFLMAO
Hey pot, this is kettle here, here tell me this I know I shouldn’t be asking you this, but what colour are you?
There’s a big difference between ‘hating your interviewer’ and having misgivings about them but giving them the benefit of the doubt, you twit.
Ah lads
Ye can keep this ball on the ground and keep trying to get a daycent pull on it or ye can step back and take a deep breath of cop on
This candidate’s home life was none of the Minister’s business
And is no indicator of whether they were the best candidate for the job
And the gimp from Rinne tried to make that it was or might be
Otherwise he would never has asked
In fact the question would never have occurred t’him
If it was a relevant criteria for the role
He would have asked all the shortlisted candidates
Betcha he didn’t
I think that girl was short-changed with the 7 n’half k meself
Totally agree. She’s now put a target on her head that says ‘trouble-maker’ and will be lawfully discriminated against for any further opportunities.
How do you know he did not ask all the candidates? Bet he didn’t is a bs comment. Asking someone if they are married or not, with kids, is a legitimate question. Tends to indicate if they have settled down and are willing to work….
Its an indicator of nothing relevant to their capacity and suitability for the role they have applied for
That a girl is fertile?
That she has a fella?
That she’s got the ride?
I bet you bananas ta’ brown envelopes
He never asked the male interviewees about their family structure
You bet again – you don’t know.
Asking if you are married is a proper question, man or woman. Why is is sexist? PC gone mad. Fertile, fella, ride all your words, which frankly are demeaning.
which is why the question regarding homelife shouldn’t feature in any job interview
In the real world, employers like to know who and what they are employing, and no amount of hysteria from over protected, overpaid, self regarding so called public servants will change that.
ah not really
only Family owned business would be more into knowing who they’re bringing in
Institutional and Large MN Employers would be more diligent on the role requirements and the candidate’s suitability and credentials
Halligan was out of his depth tbh
Of course it should. Get real. Have you ever employed anyone? All aspects of their CV including personal circumstances need to be taken into account. The fact that someone gets 7k for being asked a question is nonsense.
well
I think that girl should have got 70k
to have to go all the way to the WRC before any contrition was offered is a disgrace
and fair play to her to sticking it out
many many just chicken out
Why? Why should anyone get this money for being asked a personal question in an interview. If you have to work with a person, any person, then you need to know their personal circumstances. Otherwise employ a robot.
oh shut up a person. You manifestly haven’t a clue what you’re on about, just another reactionary dolt mouthing off on the internet
Where does the €7000 award come from?
taxpayer
So his staff, that I assume the state pays, can start at 10 and leave early if they need to. Does the salary reflect this or is it a perk
It’s called flexi time and it is widely available across the public sector
10-4 are core hours and you can make up the rest of your working week requirement with flexi time
You could have googled this you know instead of shooting off your stupid mouth about stuff you clearly know nothing about
Where does he state flexi time. You assume its flexi time. And I work in the public sector. Its not widely available, its certain areas only that get it. So maybe think before being a dumb bottom.
And you wonder why the homeless go untended, why the banks run rings around us, why the health sector is a mess. Because people like you dawdle in and out when you like from your unsackiable jobs while gorging at your subsidised canteens and driving home from your free car-parks.
Who’s going to give you a job Milo when you’re so nasty and can’t even spell?
Of course it should. Get real. Have you ever employed anyone? All aspects of their CV including personal circumstances need to be taken into account. The fact that someone gets 7k for being asked a question is nonsense.
@oh shut up a person. You manifestly haven’t a clue what you’re on about, just another reactionary dolt mouthing off on the internet
Rubbish, as an employer, parent and a public servant, I think I might be qualified in this regard. Why not reply to the message I sent as opposed to attacking me? Play the man not the ball etc.
I did reply to your message
I clearly pointed out the person writing it was an idiot
Anything else you need?
No need to be so nasty ffs