11 Common Interview Questions That Are Actually Illegal

During job interviews, employers will try to gather as much information about you as possible, mostly through perfectly legal questioning, but sometimes through simple yet very illegal questions. 

It's up to the interviewee to recognize these questions for what they are.

Any questions that reveal your age, race, national origin, gender, religion, marital status and sexual orientation are off-limits.

"State and federal laws make discrimination based on certain protected categories, such as national origin, citizenship, age, marital status, disabilities, arrest and conviction record, military discharge status, race, gender, or pregnancy status, illegal. 

Any question that asks a candidate to reveal information about such topics without the question having a job related basis will violate the various state and federal discrimination laws," Lori Adelson, a labor and employment attorney and partner with law firm Arnstein & Lehr, tells Business Insider.

"However, if the employer states questions so that they directly relate to specific occupational qualifications, then the questions may be legitimate. Clearly, the intent behind the question needs to be examined."If you are asked any inappropriate questions, Adelson advises not to lie, but, instead, politely decline to answer.

"Could they not give you a job because of that? Sure. But if they do, they would be doing exactly what they're not supposed to do."

We compiled the following illegal interview questions that are often mistaken as appropriate from Adelson and Joan K. Ustin & Associates, a consultant firm specializing in human resources and organization development.

1. Have you ever been arrested?

Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesAn employer can't actually legally ask you about your arrest record, but they can ask if you've ever been convicted of a crime. 

Depending on the state, a conviction record shouldn't automatically disqualify you for employment unless it substantially relates to your job. For example, if you've been convicted of statutory rape and you're applying for a teaching position, you will probably not get the job.

2. Are you married?

Although the interviewer may ask you this question to see how much time you'd be able to commit to your job, it's illegal because it reveals your marital status and can also reveal your sexual orientation.

3. What religious holidays do you practice?

Ho/bec Tero/AFP/Getty ImagesEmployers may want to ask you this to see if your lifestyle interferes with work schedules, but this question reveals your religion and that's illegal.

They can ask you if you're available to work on Sundays.

4. Do you have children?

It is unlawful to deny someone employment if they have children or if they are planning on having children in the future.

If the employer wants to find out how committed you will be to your job, they should ask questions about your work. For example, "What hours can you work?" or "Do you have responsibilities other than work that will interfere with specific job requirements such as traveling?"

5. What country are you from?

Alex Wong/Getty ImagesIf you have an accent, this may seem like an innocent question, but keep in mind that it's illegal because it involves your national origin.

Employers can't legally inquire about your nationality, but they can ask if you're authorized to work in a certain country.

6. Is English your first language?

It's not the employers lawful right to know if a language is your first language or not.

In order to find out language proficiency, employers can ask you what other languages you read, speak, or write fluently.

7. Do you have any outstanding debt?

Jacquelyn Martin/AP PhotoEmployers have to have permission before asking about your credit history. Similar to a criminal background history, they can't disqualify you from employment unless it directly affects your ability to perform the position you're interviewing for.

Furthermore, they can't ask you how well you balance your personal finances or inquire about you owning property.

8. Do you socially drink?

Employers cannot ask about your drinking habits because it violates the Americans With Disabilities Act of 1990.

For example, if you're a recovering alcoholic, treatment of alcoholism is protected under this act and you don't have to disclose any disability information before landing an official job offer.

9. When was the last time you used illegal drugs?

Elaine Thompson/AP PhotoIt's illegal for employers to ask you about past drug addiction, but they can ask you if you're currently using illegal drugs.

A person who is currently using drugs is not protected under ADA.

For example, an employer may ask you: Do you currently use illegal drugs? What illegal drugs have you used in the last six months?

10. How long have you been working?

This question allows employers to guess your age which is unlawful. Similarly, they can't ask you what year you graduated from high school or college or even your birthday. 

However, they can ask you how long you've been working in a certain industry.

11. What type of discharge did you receive in the military?

Mario Tama/Getty ImagesThis is not appropriate for the interviewer to ask you, but they can ask what type of education, training, or work experience you've received while in the military.

Review: Windows 8.1 widens gap with older PCs

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Microsoft Corp. CEO Steve Ballmer says the latest update to Windows is a "refined blend" of its older operating system for PCs and its new touch-enabled interface for more modern, mobile devices.

After some hands-on time with it, the update seems to me like a patch over an ever-widening chasm.

The issue is that there are over a billion personal computers that use some version of Windows as it existed until last October, when Microsoft unveiled Windows 8. All those PCs are responsive to mice and keyboards, not the touch screens and other input methods like voice and gestures that represent the future of computing. Making it easier to cross that bridge is one of the goals of Windows 8.1, a preview version of which Microsoft released Wednesday.

After spending several hours with devices running Windows 8.1, it remains unclear to me whether a touch-based environment is what traditional Windows users want to accomplish the productive tasks for which they've come to rely on Windows.

But Microsoft has added to 8.1 a grab bag of fun features that make the free update worthwhile.

One way Microsoft reaches into the past is by reviving the "Start" button in the operating system's traditional "Desktop" mode. It appears as a little Windows icon at the bottom left corner of the screen.

However, other than the location and its general look, the button doesn't do what it once did. A single tap brings you back to the "Modern" interface, instead of the traditional Start menu, which used to bring up a whole host of convenient items like recent programs and commonly used folders.

An extended press brings up a list of complex settings functions — the kind that most people would probably rather leave to their tech department if they are fortunate enough to have one.

So, instead of bringing back a familiar environment, the revived "Start" button is mainly just another way of directing you to the new one.Another way Microsoft attempts to appease its established PC user base is by allowing people to launch their computers directly into the "Desktop" environment. But again, with no way to access programs except through the "Modern" interface, there is little cause for celebration among traditionalists.

The main changes in Windows 8.1 offer an easier way to function inside its "Modern" environment, better more integrated search results, and a hint of what's possible in the future.

One feature that makes the new environment easier to navigate: Now, a screen called "All Apps" is just a swipe away from the "Modern" tile screen. Swiping up literally displays all the apps on the computer, not just the ones that you have made as favorites on the start screen. In the past, you had to swipe up from the bottom edge and tap another button to get there.

Unfortunately, the "All Apps" page feels like too much. An array of icons easily covers two full screens. Although you can re-organize the apps into categories or alphabetically, there are too many to make it easy to use.

It's easier to use the search function, which can either be brought up by swiping in from the right edge, or just typing when in the "Modern" tile screen.

Entertainers get terrific new billing in Microsoft's improved search function. Type in an artist's name, say Lily Allen, and Windows 8.1 brings up a lively and colorful sideways-scrollable page that shows big photos, her birthdate, and a list of songs and videos followed by decent-sized renditions of websites.Clicking on a play button alongside a song instantly plays it. You don't have to own the song, because Microsoft throws in the feature as part of its Xbox Music service — which inserts ads unless you pay a monthly fee. You can queue up all the top songs and even add them to a playlist for listening to later.

Windows 8.1 can also run on smaller devices, including Acer's Iconia W3, which has an 8.1-inch screen measured diagonally and works with a wireless keyboard that also acts as a stand. In the past, screens had to be about 10 inches or longer diagonally.

Some add-ins didn't really excite me. The ability to resize the split-screen, which lets you do more than one thing at once, lacked pizazz. On the Acer and even Microsoft's own Surface Pro, you can only split the screen in two, and only at fixed intervals. With the update, the screens can be half-and-half or roughly cover one-third or two-thirds of the screen, instead of one taking up a sliver as in Windows 8.

Another feature is a predictive text function. Windows 8.1 offers up three predictions for words you are typing on an onscreen keyboard when in certain apps like Mail. To me, the feature seemed to be more annoying than useful, even though you can select the options with sideways swipes on the space bar.

Yet another feature turned the camera into a motion detector. In one demo, Microsoft's new "Food and Drink" app lets users swipe through a recipe with mid-air hand gestures. In practice, this often failed, sometimes turning pages in the wrong direction or not reacting at all. Still, it's a way to struggle through a recipe if your hands are coated with sauce.

At Wednesday's presentation, Microsoft executives previewed future Windows functions that could come in handy, including voice recognition in apps and contextual understanding of spoken questions.

For example, corporate vice president Gurdeep Singh Pall demonstrated a prototype travel planning app that not only showed 3-D overhead views of cities but gave computer-voice tours of various monuments. Speaking the question "Who is the architect?" brought up a webpage showing the answer, simply because the building that the architect designed was in view in the maps app.

"Apps are going to have eyes, they're going to have ears, they're going to have a mouth," said Pall.

As of this month, Microsoft says its new Windows platform will have 100,000 apps, and the company made it clear it hopes developers make even more, incorporating some of the new tools it has made available to them.

Ballmer said in his keynote he hopes that Windows 8.1 also offers a "great path forward" for users of the millions of programs that work on older versions of Windows. By showing off a variety of enticing features of the new interface, however, it's clear that path leads through the "Modern" world.

The One Option That Automakers Really Need to Add

There are scarcely any old-school devices left that haven’t become “smart” in recent years. Lamp switches, curtain rods, door locks, and, of course, cell phones have all been augmented with technology that gives users unprecedented control over their functions. Automobiles are no exception to this rule, as anyone who is familiar with developments like Ford‘s Sync knows all too well. However, with all of the advances that have improved the driving experience, there’s one option that no production automaker currently offers.

What is this feature, you ask? Simply put- separate environments for the driver and passengers. Without this innovation, automotive comfort will always be a series of compromises at best. Not following? Then imagine this:

• Joe loves bluegrass music, the twangier the better. His wife, on the other hand, thinks anyone who owns a banjo should be shot. She prefers the urban rhythms of hip-hop, which make Joe nauseous. The two spend a lot of time in the same vehicle, so what can be done? Should they resort to ear buds, or maybe divorce court? Unnecessary. Simply have a separate, soundproof compartment for each person in the front, and both can indulge their tastes without disturbing the other.

 The one thing the kids love about their parent’s new SUV is the video game console they can enjoy while lounging in the back. But mom and dad find the sounds of their entertainment device almost as annoying as fingernails scraping a chalkboard. The solution? A clear, retractable glass divider between the front and rear of the vehicle. The parents can keep an eye on the kids and even talk to them using an intercom. But they need never be tormented by the sounds of screaming zombies again.

• The four co-workers finally decided to go green and save a little money at the same time, so they’re carpooling. Problem is, their personalities couldn’t be more different. John is a workaholic and can’t stay off his business cell phone long enough to take a breath. Sam likes to snooze during the commute but needs silence to nod off. Sally is a smoker (no explanation needed), and Bob, the captain of the vessel, hates all of these people. No problem, since his luxury sedan has four separate compartments, one for him and three more for those he despises. Each carpooler has his or her own universe to enjoy during the 25-minute ride to the office, and all is well.

So that’s it, the perfect solution to the ultimate driving problem: people with annoying habits. For the sake of anyone who has ever longed for the joys of solitary motoring, we beg the auto exec reading these words to get the ball rolling on this idea. How this idea comes into fruition is entirely up to automakers. Plastic barriers  Personal bubbles? Force fields? Who knows, but we welcome any developments in this uncharted territory of automotive design.