Implicit bias has a way of working itself into even the most mundane things. Take, for example, job interviews. It’s fairly common knowledge at this point that in a job interview, an employer may not ask an applicant’s age, or if he has a disability, or what country the person is from. These prohibitions are finite and easier to enforce. But what if an interviewer asks “are you married?” or “is this your maiden name?” or “do you prefer Mrs. or Ms.?” Each one of these questions could be code for eliciting the applicant’s marital status. If the interview is taking place for a job in Philadelphia, each of those questions would be impermissible under the Fair Practices Ordinance. (Philadelphia Code Section 9-1100).

When it comes to gender bias, woman have long faced interview questions about marriage, children, pregnancy, day care and a myriad of other questions angling toward information about the applicant’s “availability” and “suitability” for work. Sometimes the subtle way in which the questions are asked would leave some to let their guard down and offer an answer. One common trap is for the interviewer to lead with information about himself. “Oh, I’m so sorry for starting our meeting a little later than planned. I was on the phone with my daughter’s day care and she is sick again. Ugh. Do you have any kids of your own? It just seems like it’s impossible to avoid getting sick from these little germ-mongers.” The natural inclination is for the applicant to join in and respond with “well yes, I have a toddler in day care too and she’s just getting over the flu” and so it goes.