From http://newsobserver.com/business/story/1755100p-1765674c.html

"Better left unanswered
But taboo hiring questions persist
Sunday, September 22, 2002 4:12AM EDT
By TIFFINI THEISEN, The Orlando Sentinel

Renee Zines expected to be asked about her typing skills and office experience when she applied for a clerical position.

But she was stunned when her interviewer at the podiatrists' office also handed her a 200-question personality test.

Some of the questions seemed harmless, if goofy, such as: "Do you often sing or whistle just for the fun of it?" Others offended the Melbourne, Fla., woman, such as questions about her moods, her eating and spending habits, how many friends she has, whether she likes to gossip or steal things, whether she has pondered suicide and the number of children she plans to have.

Experts say such tests -- or any overly personal questions asked of job applicants -- are rarely appropriate, and they can even be illegal.

Companies cannot ask applicants things about their private lives that have nothing to do with the job. For instance, asking prospective employees about their nationality or ancestry, how old they are, whether they're married or whether they're disabled or have health problems are all taboo.

The test that Zines took was the Oxford Capacity Analysis, a questionnaire created by the Church of Scientology that some employers use to screen applicants. This and similar tests became common in the early 1990s but have dropped off because of controversy and the tight labor market. Today, roughly one in five employers still uses them, according to the Society for Human Resource Management.

Zines said she faked her answers and later decided she would never work for a company that requested such private information.

"I felt that I was being violated," said Zines, 25, now a sales assistant for a telecommunications firm. "I thought the questions were really personal. ... Those questions have nothing to do with working at a podiatry clinic."

Companies that cross the line into personal territory risk expensive legal action.

Interview questions are illegal if they seek to classify applicants based on categories protected under anti-discrimination laws, including race, national origin, religion, age, disability or marital status...."

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