23 Interview Questions You're Legally Not Allowed to Ask (And What to Ask Instead)

You're halfway through an interview. The candidate seems great. Then someone on your panel asks, "So, are you planning to have kids soon?"—and just like that, you've crossed a line you didn't even know was there.

In Ontario, and across Canada, human rights legislation protects candidates from questions that touch on age, family status, religion, disability, place of origin, and a host of other grounds. The kicker? You don't have to actually discriminate for it to matter. Simply asking the wrong question can be enough to trigger a complaint.

Here's what's off-limits: anything about marital status, children, pregnancy plans, age (including "when did you graduate?"), religion, ethnicity, citizenship (beyond "are you legally entitled to work here?"), and disability—unless the candidate has asked for accommodation. Even "Where are you from?" can be problematic if it's really asking about race or nationality.

So what do you ask instead? Focus on job-related behaviour. Instead of "Do you have kids?" try "This role sometimes requires evening work—how would you handle that?" Instead of "What year did you graduate?" ask "Tell me about a project you led that required technical depth." The goal is the same—you're assessing fit and capability—but the questions stay on the right side of the law.

Run your questions through a checker before the interview. It takes five minutes and could save you a lot more than that.