I know the economy is tight, and businesses cannot afford to purchase vehicles for the few times they may need an employee to use one. But where in the HECK do they get off stating in job postings that applicants do not qualify for a job if you do not have a reliable vehicle?
Isn’t this dicrimination, or at the very least a sheisty way for them to avoid a business expense that they apparently require? And I don’t want to hear stories about people being reimbursed for gas or jobs that require you to drive your whole shift – thats not the issue.
Recently, I went to an interview(via public transit) that didnt specify the need for a vehicle and when I said I didnt have a vehicle, I could tell they were disappointed and it put me on the bottom of list of choices. BULL
—not as swift
This article appears in Oct 22-28, 2009.
Just for a moment imagine being the employer with many options to hire and, therefore, no reason to take on the expense of a company car. Perhaps the job exists BECAUSE the employer has not spend the money required for a car? We all bring “resources” to a job. Some jobs require you have bring your own tools. This is discriminatory but it’s legal to require the candidate be in possession of the necessary resources to do the job… that doesn’t mean ONLY intellectual resources.
If you know the job is going to require the use of a vehicle only periodically, LIE! Get the job then tell them you totaled your car in a ditch and didn’t carry expensive comprehensive insurance. To dismiss you for that (after probation) IS discriminatory and illegal. Do what you have to do to get the job.
Thats right, lie in a job interview to get a job that you won’t be able to do. And people complain about employers being douches….
Wrong-O Kay-O!
First 3 months is probationary, and you can be released for any reason.
Where do you come from where the people lie so much?
The “must have a reliable vehicle” thing is not because of the economy. When I graduated over 2 years ago and was looking for jobs, I saw lots of it. I was very fortunate to eventually find a good job that doesn’t require a vehicle most of the time. However, I find it really tough when they don’t ask you about transportation until the interview. And Kay, not all of us can lie about something like that on the spot.
And the fraudster from the West shows up.
OP got out their crystal ball:
“when I said I didnt have a vehicle, I could tell they were disappointed and it put me on the bottom of list of choices.”
This sounds like the bitch where the poster says “Maybe it’s because I told you I was engaged”.
I wish *I* could read minds too…
First off, did you ever think that maybe the hours of operation are outside hours when “reliable transit” is available? (I almost gagged typing that, BTW).
Or maybe that the cost of adding someone to the commercial insurance policy is astronomical, not to mention a lengthy and involved process you don’t necessarily want to do for someone who’s about to go on probation for 3 months?
Or that maybe the job is going to entail having to get to various locations in a short period of time?
I agree that when they don’t list that there’s a vehicle required, it totally sucks to make your way to an interview to find that out. But just because they ask if you have your own transportation during the interview doesn’t mean you need it.
It seems to me that there are certain jobs where it is reasonable to require one’s own “reliable” vehicle—Delivery Driver comes to mind. Or Real Estate Agent.
I once had a job that required a vehicle—I was just out of school and borrowed my parents’ car at first, and bought my own car shortly thereafter. It was very easy save up enough for a respectable down payment, get a loan for the rest, and pay it off in a few months. (The car was pretty cheap to begin with.) Actually, once I bought the car, I realized it wasn’t such a big deal and could have done it almost immediately after starting work, rather than a few months into it.
If your salary is decent and steady, a tolerable used vehicle in not unaffordable. There are a lot of good, cheap “starter” cars out there which will get you through your first 2 or 3 working years. And you don’t have to keep the same crappy car forever. You can buy something better when your earnings improve. Very few people make the minimum wage their entire life.
Gas prices, sad to say, are a different story.
Hey man, you gotta do what you gotta do to eat. I’m an employer and am very aware of this fact. I hate lying but I hate victims more.
Interviews are such treacherous territory. You can’t lie, but you have to present yourself in the best possible light.
Especially where this kind of thing is concerned, ie, a person may not currently have a vehicle but would obviously obtain one if required for the job—and may not bother buying one if they didn’t need it for that job, can’t afford it without the job, . . . etc.
Definitely a classic catch-22 situation.
I think the potential employer wants to hear that it “won’t be a problem” and leave it at that—that you will, of course, have a vehicle ready and available when you start the job.
Other than that, I guess you have to look for other jobs that don’t require you the use of your own car.
There are many jobs that require an investment in the tools needed to do the work: tools, safety equipment, computers/laptops, cel phones, even a working wardrobe for facing the public can mean the difference between being able to do your job properly or not.
It is actually “expensive” to work, but I don’t see any way around that.
Hopefully, a person makes more money by working than not, and thus has the means to obtain what they need and want to make life better.
or they panhandle and drive their lexus to their two-story at the end of the day
kay must truely hate herself on all fronts: a liar (with her bullshit) and a victim (which she plays so well when people merely disagree with her).
just go buy a car like everyone else.
Most are “a sheisty way for them to avoid a business expense that they apparently require”.
It’s funny you mention that, I love the Pizza places mostly.
“We need a delivery driver but you have to supply all your equipment in order to work”
It’s like FedEx asking the drivers to use their own trucks!!!
It’s still an employer’s market at the moment, unfortunately for us potential employees, so they can afford to be picky. I bet employers are loving this not so great economy and all the desperation that comes with it.
“Well, the job would usually start out at $60,000 / year, but you know, because of the current economic climate we can only afford to start you out at $40,000 / year with no benefits. And you need your own car”
Reality: we know you’re desperate enough for this job to accept a $20,000 cut in salary.
Sure they’ll pay for milage and stuff, but running a car costs a lot more than the 25 cents a km they’ll give you…it’s not just about gas…who’s going to pay for the wear and tear on the car itself?
I’d laugh if the OP had applied for a pizza delivery job and somehow thinks he/she is being discriminated against.
PK your employer must be very cheap. 50 cents here.
HhMmmmmm……The OB casts a question……
……then immediately says they don’t want to hear
“…stories about people being reimbursed….”
If you can’t take the truth……OB……don’t ask the fucking question!