Hi can someone please help me understand discrimination in relation to these scenarios.

1. A firm of contract caterers in Solihull (a predominately white suburb of Birmingham) advertised for general assistants in the Solihull Evening News. The advert states that applicants must live within the Solihull area. On querying this requirement, an African Caribbean applicant from an ethnic background, is told that he would not be suitable for the job as it involved working evening and weekends, therefore only suitable for someone who lives close by?
Is this discrimination and if yes or if no, why?

2. A Muslim employee began a management training course on the first Friday of the course he is given permission by the manger to be away for an hour during the day to attend the mosque where he worships.
The following week the training manager says that he will not let him go in future as he required greater commitment than that which he has demonstrated by taking time out of the course to attend the mosque. The training manager tells the trainee that he must choose between work and the mosque. The trainee refuses to give up attending the mosque and is unable to go onto the next stage of the training programme.
Is this discrimination and if yes or if no, why?

3. Three candidates are interviewed for a supervisor’s position in a call centre. Two of the applicants are male and one is female. Two applicants, one male and one female have young children under the age of five. The female applicant is asked during the interview whether she will be able to make arrangements for her children. Neither of the male applicants is asked a similar question.
Is this discrimination and if yes or if no, why?


The last one I believe is discrimination, but can someone please help me on the first two with an explanation also. Thanks.

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1.applicants must live within the Solihull area.

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This applicant did not live in Solihull?

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2.is given permission by the manger to be away for an hour during the day to attend the mosque where he worships.

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Did his time away take longer than an hour?

Sounds like homework, but none of these sounds like discrimination as they are stated.

Would you say the last one is discrimniation. Where the female applicant is asked if she has cover for her children, however the male applicant is not asked this question even though he has children. Would this be a form of discrimination, as this gives a sense that he may choose the male applicant regardless of whether the female applicant may have been a better candidate. I am confused.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

This applicant did not live in Solihull?


Did his time away take longer than an hour?

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No he did not take longer than an hour, but I think the employer is asking that instead of taking this hour going to the mosque, he should commit this time to the company. Would this be discrimination that his employer is making him choose between the job and going to mosque

I wouldn't say its discrimination. Interviewers can ask questions they think are pertinent. They may simply have not been thinking to ask. Often it is hard to prove discrimination because usually that requires proving intent. Like did they intentionally discriminate or were they looking for who would be the best to get the job done? How do you go about proving discrimiation vs their claimed intent Employers want someone that isn't going to have personal problems to hold them back.

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Originally Posted by Nargis786

No he did not take longer than an hour, but I think the employer is asking that instead of taking this hour going to the mosque, he should commit this time to the company. would this be discrimination that his employer is making him choose between the job and going to mosque

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I have always had to arrange my church time around my work hours, so no, I wouldn't consider that discrimination. BUT, the employer had originally told him he could have an hour off to go to the mosque. Did the employer change his mind? It seems to me with traveling to and from the mosque, it would be more than an hour.

We made arrangements for our Muslim employees to use our staff lounge several times during the day to pray privately. The employer could still be respectful of Islam and make other arrangements with the employee. I do not believe there is a REQUIREMENT to go to the mosque daily, is there?

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Originally Posted by Nargis786

would you say the last one is discrimniation. where the female applicant is asked if she has cover for her children, however the male applicant is not asked this question even though he has children. would this be a form of discrimination, as this gives a sense that he may choose the male applicant regardless of whether the female applicant may have been a better candidate. I am confused.

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Usually, the mother is most involved with her children's (especially young children's) schedules, schooling, illnesses, etc. The father too often notices there are short people living at his house and doesn't have much to do with them. Her performance as a mother could affect her job -- if she has to miss work a lot because of sick children (and when one child gets sick, everyone else, including Mom, will get sick, so maybe lots of days off) or would have to take time off to attend a school function.

As stated, exactly, none are illegal discrimination. There are all sorts of discrimination, I can treat all red haired people badly at work if I want to. Nothing illegal about that, since having red hair is not protected.

1. If living in area is a written requirement, then if they do not live there, they can be excluded.
2.Work days and hours can be changed, companies have no requirement to give time for for religious events.
3. asking about child care is a question, and may be ask, but not required to be asked.

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Originally Posted by Wondergirl

I have always had to arrange my church time around my work hours, so no, I wouldn't consider that discrimination. BUT, the employer had originally told him he could have an hour off to go to the mosque. Did the employer change his mind? It seems to me with traveling to and from the mosque, it would be more than an hour

We made arrangements for our Muslim employees to use our staff lounge several times during the day to pray privately. The employer could still be respectful of Islam and make other arrangements with the employee. I do not believe there is a REQUIREMENT to go to the mosque daily, is there?

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No there is no requirement for muslims to attend mosque everyday, as long as they are completeing there prayers then it is fine.
But I am quite confused as my topic given was about different forms of discrimination and then was given those 3 scenarios above to explain if they are discriminating. That just gives me the sense that one of the scenarios must be discriminating as 'discrimination' is the topic I am learning about. Very confused

Related to the third scenario-
According to this publication from the University of Chicago questions regarding child care or family dynamics period is potentially discriminatory.
Although I am sure it is asked very frequently.

https://careeradvancement.uchicago.e...0Questions.pdf