'Inappropriate': Worker Defended for Having Intrusive Job Interviewer Fired

Thousands of internet commenters were quick to back one woman who explained how a recent job interview ended with a jobless interviewer.

In a viral Reddit post published on r/AmITheA**hole, Redditor u/R_Rover_2013 (otherwise referred to as the original poster, or OP) said she filed a complaint following the interview and recounted the "inappropriate" line of question they were bombarded with.

Titled, "[Am I the a**hole] for getting my interviewer fired?" the post has received more than 15,000 votes and nearly 2,000 comments in the last eleven hours.

Writing that she was welcomed into an office by a male interviewer, the original poster said the man looked at her CV and almost immediately began asking questions completely unrelated to the job opportunity.

"[He] started asking me questions that seemed a little [too] personal and unrelated to the job, like if I was in a relationship, whether my eye color was 'real' or just 'lenses,'" OP wrote. [He] also asked about how I spend my time when 'alone' and what type of dudes I like."

"Like legit personal questions," she added.

Noting that the questions continued for some time, the original poster said she remained calm and collected until one inquiry pushed her over the edge.

"I kept it cool 'til he asked me the question of what my greatest weakness was," OP wrote. "I responded by saying 'keeping up with your inappropriate questions and answering them politely!'"

"He looked at me upset and then told me I had an 'attitude,'" OP continued. "It was clear that the interview was over...I got into an argument with him then told him I was going to report him."

"I went to speak to the supervisor and filed a complaint...later I was told that [he] got fired which made me feel guilty," OP wrote. "My mom and dad agreed that his questions were inappropriate but said that I went too far by reporting him...[the interviewer] tried contacting me via email saying that what I did could've been resolved between us."

Although there are laws and policies in place prohibiting harassment in the workplace, harassment is not contained to those who are already employed.

Harassment—verbal, digital, sexual or otherwise—can take place during job interviews and is only exacerbated by the lopsided power dynamic between interviewers and interviewees.

From unwanted touch and advances, to charged comments or questions about a prospective employee's relationship status and sexual preferences, online resource Employment Law Help reports that harassed interviewees can take legal action against interviewers and, like in the case of the original poster, prevent others from receiving the same treatment.

Recently, Newsweek has reported on a myriad of Reddit threads detailing nightmare job interviews including multiple discriminatory interviewers, a boss who arrived late to an interview appointment and immediately flipped the blame onto the interviewee and one employer who accused a prospective employee of being "suspicious" because they do not have social media.

In each of those cases, many of Reddit's most outspoken users defended scorned workers with tooth and nail, while calling out employers and job interviewers who allow and exhibit such heinous behavior.

In the case of the viral post authored by u/R_Rover_2013, Redditors offered a similar sentiment and assured the original poster she was justified in filing a complaint against her job interviewer, regardless of the outcome.

"[Not the a**hole]," Redditor u/thirdtryisthecharm wrote in the post's top comment, which has received more than 30,000 votes. "

"Notify the company that [he] used your application info to contact you after he was fired," they added. "That is a major security/liability issue for them."

Redditor u/balancedgray, whose comment has received more than 6,000 votes, speculated that the original poster's interviewer was skating on thin ice before the complaint was filed and echoed u/thirdtryisthecharm that contacting an interviewee after the fact is cause for concern.

"If he got fired that quickly, then he was probably already on probation for similar issues," they wrote. "Your complaint is saving others from similar experiences."

"Furthermore, he should not have contacted you afterwards," they added. "He shouldn't still have access to your contact info and you should let the company know as it could be a liability issue for them."

"That's just creepy that he kept her contact info on hand," Redditor u/jammy913 chimed in, receiving more than 1,000 votes. "I'd probably file a report with the police as well."

Newsweek reached out to u/R_Rover_2013 for comment.