Job posts and equal opportunity
Describe the job, not the person you picture doing it. A post that states a preference about age, sex, race, religion, national origin, disability or family status can be unlawful, and the blunter forms of it are held for review on Jinu rather than published.
What the rules say, briefly
Federal law prohibits discrimination in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, including sexual orientation and gender identity, national origin, age from 40, disability and genetic information. Many states and cities protect more than that. An advertisement that expresses a preference is itself a problem, separately from who you end up hiring. This is a summary and not legal advice: check your own obligations, and the guidance published at eeoc.gov is the place to start.
Rewrites that keep the requirement and lose the risk
| Instead of | Write |
|---|---|
| Young, energetic team player | Fast-paced role, on your feet for most of the shift |
| Recent graduate | Entry level, no experience required |
| Mature applicants preferred | Five or more years in a similar role |
| Must be a US citizen | Must be authorized to work in the United States |
| Native English speaker | Fluent written and spoken English |
| Salesman, waitress, handyman | Salesperson, server, maintenance technician |
| Able-bodied | Able to lift 50 pounds repeatedly through a shift |
| No students, no parents, no retirees | The shifts are Monday to Friday, 6am to 2pm |
| Christian household, female applicants only | Remove it. Narrow exemptions exist and are narrower than most people think. |
The pattern is the same each time: state the requirement of the job, in the terms of the job, and let anyone who meets it apply.
Also worth avoiding
- Photographs of "the team" used to signal who fits.
- Screening questions about age, health, pregnancy, childcare, religion or immigration status. Ask whether they can do the job and work the hours.
- Salary history questions, which several states prohibit.
What happens if a post is flagged
It is held for review, not deleted, and a person reads it. If it was a false alarm it is released. If it was not, you can edit the wording and it can go live. Housing listings run through a separate and stricter check for the same reason.
The full rules are in the community guidelines and prohibited items. Anyone can report a post that reads as discriminatory, and people do.