Job interview gone wrong: Woman gets Rs 3 lakh compensation after Domino's asks her age

A woman in Northern Ireland filed a lawsuit against Dominos Pizza after experiencing age and sex discrimination during an interview. The fast food restaurant has since apologised and paid Janice Walsh a settlement of 4,000 pounds (approximately Rs 3 Lakh). In her interview with BBC News, Walsh disclosed that during her interview for a job as a delivery driver at the pizza company's location in Strabane, County Tyrone, she was questioned about her age as the first question.

After answering the question, the woman stated that the interviewer circled her age and said, "You don't look it." Walsh was certain that her age and sex were the reasons for her rejection when she first heard the news. “I immediately thought back to the interview and the question about my age. I believe my age was an issue and it affected the decision made by the interview panel.”

Walsh even reached out to the branch on Facebook to discuss the discrimination she experienced. According to her, the interview panel apologised and stated that the interviewer was unaware that asking about someone's age in an interview was improper.

Walsh went on to say that she was even passed over for a driver position due to her gender. “I’ve only ever seen men working as drivers and I think I was overlooked for a driver position because I am a woman. Domino’s continued to advertise for drivers after the interviews had taken place.”, she stated. After the interviews, Domino's kept running job ads for drivers.

She chose the legal path and filed a discrimination action, which was supported by the Northern Ireland Equality Commission. According to a statement from Mary Kitson, senior legal officer for the Commission, “People involved in recruitment and selection should be familiar with how people are protected by the legislation to keep the employer on the right side of the law. It’s really important not to allow stereotypical views of who can do particular jobs to influence decisions.”

In a formal statement on the subject, Dominos Pizza further outlined the franchisee model that the restaurant employs, which places the branch's hiring and employment decisions under its control. The business claimed that it is taking care of the situation since they are aware of the significant role it plays in the communities they serve.