getting annoyed

[Deedee]

Please may i vent. I am trying to get another job but keep coming up against a problem. I don't drive or wish to, its my choice but why should it be a problem to employers. Obviously i don't apply for jobs that include driving just shop or office jobs so why is it you phone up and the first thing they ask, do you have your own transport i have managed to get around for 41 years without a car so what is the problem? Are the only people who can do a job these days the ones that drive. To me it is a form of discrimination and i am getting really fed up with it. i managed to do that without a car no problem!!!!!!

 

[jen_uk]

That seems so stupid and unfair! In future when you get asked if you have transport why dont you say yes, getting a bus etc is still a form of transport so you are not technically lying! When I didnt have a car that is what I used to do, I knew I wouldnt need to drive for my job but I knew they wouldnt like it if I said I didnt have a car, I just used buses to get to work and they never knew!

 

[AlanUK]

I would have thought that if transport is not a requirement of the job then to discount someone because they don't have a car is discrimanatory and probably not legal. Although the difficulty would be proving that of course

 

[Minniespal]

I can understand them asking you if you have a driving licence if it was a requirement of the job. However, lots of people have driving licences and not necessarily have cars. It would seem strange them asking you if you had your own transport. Don't think they could get away with that but as Alan says, the difficulty is proving that they have done something against the law.

 

[ely3857]

I have often wondered why there is a question about this on application forms but as I do drive I never really thought about it

It does seem very unfair when your job doesnt involve any driving

Perhaps next time you should just ask outright why they are asking????



Jodie

 

[Philadisney]

i understand! that's very frustrating.

 

[Miffy2003]

I can completely understand your frustration! Are you sure this is going against you? It may just be a bog standard question that gets trotted out but has no impact on you being hired.

Part of the recruitment process where I work is to ask whether you drive or not, however I can state categorically this would not go against you in selcting you for the job (unless it was a driving job, of course )

One of the reasons we ask is to have a record of people that can drive in case a need arises, for example on the rare occasions when people might be asked to go offsite to work on something specific eg testing. Then we can ask those people if they are willing to help with transport. Noone is obliged to.

We actually like it when people don't drive because it means they don't have to be allocated a (very limited) parking space. That's the other reason we ask.

 

[gilld]

Sometimes staff training can be held at out of town venues so it is advantageous for the emplyee to be able to drive.

 

[carolfoy]

We always ask this just because its useful to know if someone could cover another branch if necessary. We have and do employ non drivers though.