very strange question?
Asked by princess1226
so I've been applying for jobs and I cam across a job earlier for a dental assistant. so I emailed my resume, I got an instant reply asking for hours I'm available and stuff like that. then I get to the bottom and there is an odd request. It said to please email a photo of me from the waist up for better applicant processing? what does that mean? is that like a form of sexual harassment or something? or is the dr looking for a hot assistant or big chested? I'm really confused and is this even legal??? please help my husband was upset about this, I did send my photo and he wasn't very happy. however it was a head shot and I got a call for an interview

Best Answer:
Yes, discriminating on the basis of age, gender, race, religious beliefs, disability, or sexual orientation is illegal and considered harassment. Having said that, it would not be illegal for a potential employer to want a picture attached to your resume. Especially if you e-mailed it and not hand delivered it. Do not go off the deep end and automatically assume that the employer is discriminating against its applicants. It is not illegal for an employer to give interviews to clean, presentable, and well put-together individuals. Employers do have the right to hire a person who has a certain image or appearance that is required to perform the work. If the employer had wanted a picture before allowing you the opportunity to apply, you may have a case of discrimination. There may be a panel or committee assigned to interview applicants, and a picture would familiarize the panel with each applicant (putting a face with a name). The waist-up picture would be a good general rule to get a good look at your face. I wouldn't get too upset over this, but you should always check your individual state's laws. If that doesn't satisfy you, you can seek legal advise. Some want to charge for this some do not.
The EEOC Guidelines on Discrimination Because of Sex state that the "refusal to hire an individual because of the preferences of coworkers, the employer, clients or customers" violates Title VII, unless it is a BFOQ("bona fide occupational qualification"). In this case I would say that the dentist could defend by claiming that a good smile(teeth), cleanliness, and being well-groomed is a qualification of the job, considering it is a health care facility that performs sterile procedures, and is in the business of selling beauty through smiles.
Answered by bmaue3

Holy crap, they want to keep documents and photos together so that they have a record of who is who. There is nothing illegal about an employee wanting to verify that you are the person applying and a photo documents that.
Answered by Noone i

How old are you ? 13 ? Yes , it is harrasment
Answered by nancygoldman@sbcglobal.net

Um, yeah, that IS illegal!! You need to go to the police with that ad and show them so they can investigate!!!
Answered by VMG

Maybe they wanted to see how your teeth looked. Bad for business if they have a snaggle-toothed dental assistant. Maybe they worry people want a job there just to get free or reduced rate dental care.
Answered by Pam H

ICK~! That sounds fishy. I've never heard of this before unless it was a modeling job or something. I would question it.
Answered by strawberryice_lb

weired.he just wants to see waht u look like.i dont thinkj that s neccessary though.
Answered by Daizy.

That is totally wrong, selecting people by race, gender or general appearance
Answered by Candy Kisses

Thats not right. A job should not hire you bases on looks. I wouldnt have sent my picture but since you did, I would ask about that at the interview. If they get pissed off about your question, leave and report them
Answered by clvsr84

That is very odd. It does sound like some kind of discrimnation to me. You might want to decide if that is the kind of place you want to work. When you go for the interview look at the other assistants. That will tell what the dentist is looking for, if they are all hot or big chested.
Answered by Tuff501

hmmm, that is strange. if you didn't apply in person then maybe they wanted the pic to be able to identify you when you come in for an actual interview??
Answered by houseplant

It really sounds kinda fishy to me, but maybe they were checking for piercings & or tattoos. I worked at 2 banks where those were outlawed! I'd attend the interview but have your husband come & wait for you in the waiting room - just in case.
Answered by hotpants4512

That is a strange request, never heard that one before. I don't blame your hubby for being upset. Not sure of the legality of it, I would call the labour board and ask
Answered by fanofozzyosbourne

I think they are only looking for a "pleasant" look for their front desk. But, I too think it was an odd thing to actually ask of you. I think it would be better to set up the interviews and weed people out face to face. Just go on the interview and see how it goes then.
Answered by kj

Well they could possibly just want to see a face with the name. Appearance does get counted into the interview process, maybe they should have just made it more clear as to why they wanted a picture. You could possibly call and ask to speak with Human Resources and ask for further detail on why they need the pic and if they cannot offer you a valid reason, you could place a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Good Luck and hopefully it wasn't anything too horrible.
Answered by Carmela

It is OK, go and face interview. If he has any bad ideas, you will come to know. You do not have to stick with him. He may be good also. Any way go face him. Best of luck and GOD bless you.
Answered by mak

Yep, this is wrong. Don't try for this job at all.
Answered by Patton

I am a hiring manager in Texas and I can tell you that asking for a photo is illegal unless it is job related. People that are looking for jobs as actors or models need to send in their photos. I don't think that the doctor should be asking for a photo because I really don't see how it is job related. When you go to the interview, ask them about it. Ask about it at the end of the interview when you are asked, "Do you have any questions?". Just say, "How is my photo related to the job in question?". Maybe they plan on using you in commercials or maybe they want to use your image for posters. If so, then it is job related. If it is not job related, you could possibly sue them for the request for the photo prior to being hired on by the company.
Answered by Man of Stone

They should not have asked for a photo. they're probably one of those offices that just wants to staff it with hot girls. I don't know that it's illegal, but it's definitely frowned upon.
Answered by Leah

This is definetly illegal. If they want to see what you look like they ask you for an interview. This could be considered preferential hiring. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) would be very interested in hearing about this.
Answered by felonius_monkey

if they wanted to do something like make sure you had good teeth, they needed to do it during the interview. for a dental assistant job, they don't need to know what you look like ahead of time (unlike jobs in acting/modeling, etc.). if you do get called for an interview, be very wary of the type of working environment at an office that requires pictures of assistants to be submitted prior to being hired.
Answered by spongebob squarepants

I would go in yourself with a picture and see what it's like. You don't want to start a big fuss about it before you know exactly what it is about. Or just ask him what the picture is about.
Answered by Chris H.

They did cross the line with their request but you complied as well. You should continue to seek employment but only on the merits of your skills and decline potential offers for employment that attempt to address anything other than your job skills.
Answered by loanquest

No, this is not illegal. It may seem shallow and even morally or ethically wrong, but there is no law regarding hiring attractive people. This employer is trying to weed out the NFO... often heard in the employment services industry (temps, contractors). This means "Not Front Office" or in simpler terms, they would rather have an very attractive face that is greeting the public, as opposed to one that is "less attractive" than desired. This is done in thousands interviews across the country every day. And having your picture included with your CV or your resume is not always a bad idea. Clearly this employer wants to see who they are considering for interviews, as well as their credentials. Questionable actions for a business, perhaps, but it is not illegal.
Answered by SPMOSHER

hi hope that you are ok?? ad ive never heard that before? and i don,t think that is correct at all.but thats me, and good luck in your new job.please let me know what goes on?.
Answered by RUTH A

Call the dentist office & ask them why they want the photo. You can do this in a polite & professional manner, explaining that you have never heard of this before & you were just curious about the process. I think it is harmless, but if you are that upset by it, just call & ask them.
Answered by questionasker