The PUMA story continued...
Hello FGBers!
I thought those of you who were initially interested in the post where I talked about really intrusive questions that appeared on an online application page for PUMA North America--including the one that fueled my fire--"Are you under/over 40?", might be interested in a follow-up report.
As one FGBer suggested, I wrote the CEO of the company, expressing my deep concern over an applicant's privacy, given the invasive questions contained within its online application, and calling particular attention to the illegal "age" question that, in my mind, constituted a potential breeding ground for age discrimination.
I recently received a letter, mailed via FedEX, from the company's SVP, General Counsel. It contained an explanation for the overly intrusive questioning which, in a nutshell, was that the company is part of a federal program where it receives tax credits when it hires individuals who meet certain criteria. The online application (or that part of it) is actually a federal government applicant questionnaire that determines whether certain individuals meet eligibility requirements. The letter assured me that PUMA's hiring managers do not see the applicants' supplied answers to those very personal questions.
Hmmm. I don't recall seeing at the top of the page (or anywhere on the page) that the following questions were being asked for purposes of federal tax program eligibility. I would think that that disclosure would have been a requirement, as well as an option not to answer! But I do recall, clearly, that WITHOUT answering those questions, I could not complete my application for the position. I still think that's wrong. Other than a certain section of an application that specifies it is collecting profile info and that completion is totally voluntary, I have NEVER heard of such a practice. Anyone? Human Resource professionals out there?
Anyway, in conclusion, I guess I'll simply feel satisfied that my letter was read and addressed. Thank you all for sharing YOUR concerns about that situation.
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Benefits Question:
I have worked with my current employer 10+ years and am at our maximum PTO accrual rate of 5 weeks/year. I've been looking at changing companies and have interviewed with a few. When I talk to HR, they often tell me the benefits package and note that I'd start, as a new employee, at the bottom rung of PTO accrual (often 2 weeks). Is this often negotiable? Is it unreasonable to think that the same years of experience that make me a good fit for a role should also qualify me for the higher PTO accrual rate? I realize I may not get all the way to where I am today, but to go from 5 to 2 is a kick in the gut.
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Seeking professional opinions regarding sending a Thank You email, from your work email account, when interviewing for an internal position, but one that is in a different department than your current one.
Would this be appropriate, or should it be sent from a personal email account instead? Thank you in advance!
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Join us tomorrow, July 30 at 12 PM ET, for an FGB Live webinar all about "Talent Mobility: How to Make an Internal Career Shift" with Brother USA!
Register for free today: https://fairygodboss.com/events/ZkIJMxVo4/talent-mobility-how-to-make
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Bored at Work
My job has a lot of ebbs and flows. The busy season is almost upon us, but right now I have absolutely nothing to do. I am so bored all day long. When I'm bored like this, I usually start looking for new jobs. I have to be challenged to be content. But I really enjoy my boss, and I'm trying to stay here for at least another year or two. Last time I experienced down time, I subscribed to Coursera and got a certificate. Right now, I spend a lot of time on LinkedIn. I don't really have funds (personal or professional development through work) to do anything that has a significant cost. Does anyone have recommendations on what I should do?
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Manager keeps pigeon-holing me based on ancient experience
I've been asking my manager for a new role for the past year, but they keep suggesting roles based on my past experience in a field I have no longer have any interest in and that I left almost 20 years ago.
My resume shows years of experience taking on higher-level work, but my manager ignores that and keeps saying, "we need someone who can handle (let's say) data entry, and we know you are an expert!" Yes, I've handled data entry, but I did this work a very, very long time ago and have no desire to return to it.
I'd rather management consider the interesting, much more challenging work I did right before they hired me a few years ago overseeing creative projects. How can I gently redirect them to my more recent experience that qualifies me for the higher-paying work I'd rather be considered for? I get it, the "need" someone to handle data entry, but find someone else as I already paid my dues and don't want to take on that work at this stage of my career?
As a side note, I do feel that management is saving the better jobs for certain favorite staffers and pawning off the undesirable roles to others who were hired before the new regime took over.
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Be very careful when you “ask ChatGPT” for career advice!
https://www.computerworld.com/article/4028148/bias-alert-llms-suggest-women-seek-lower-salaries-than-men-in-job-interviews.html
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