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Technically, disqualifying a candidate based on political views is
probably not illegal because political views are not EEOC
discrimination-protected (but check with your state for possible
local restrictions). However...
I think the ethical problem here is the utterly unprofessional manner
in which your group has allowed its working environment to become
permeated with the personal politics of its members. I couldn't
begin to plot a course out of this quagmire that would not begin with
an immediate and total ban on the discussion of politics in the group
until everybody - most especially you, if you are the official or de facto
leader of the group - learns to keep their political views out of
work-related gatherings and limit them to individual conversations
(actually, if you are the group leader you should be as totally
apolitical as humanly possible from the moment you walk into the
office til the moment you leave it).
Also, if you are the person with the final decision-making
responsibility in candidate selection, you need to grow a spine and
start actually making decisions. Candidate selection by popularity
contest is an almost certain path to staffing disaster.
Gene Kim-Eng
----- Original Message -----
From: "TECHWR-L Administrator" <admin -at- techwr-l -dot- com>
To: <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- techwr-l -dot- com>
Sent: Tuesday, June 26, 2007 9:41 AM
Subject: FWD: Employment question
Forwarded anonymously on request. Please respond on list--
The question is, would it be ethical to deny employment to a person
(otherwise eminently qualified) based on his/her political views, though
the real reason is never mentioned? On the other hand, is a new person
(however well qualified) worth the possible disruption (97% possibility)
to the sense of good will in the team?
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